Grimms' Fairy Tales
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Title: Fairy Tales
Author: The Brothers Grimm
Release Date: December 14, 2008 [EBook #2591]
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRIMMS' FAIRY TALES ***
Produced by Emma Dudding, John Bickers, Dagny, and David Widger.
Project Gutenberg Note
The text is based on translations from the Grimms' _Kinder und
Hausmaerchen_ by Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes.
Fairy Tales
By The Brothers Grimm
Contents
The Golden Bird
Hans in Luck
Jorinda And Jorindel
The Travelling Musicians
Old Sultan
The Straw, The Coal, And The Bean
Briar Rose
The Dog And The Sparrow
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
The Fisherman And His Wife
The Willow-Wren And The Bear
The Frog-Prince
Cat And Mouse In Partnership
The Goose-Girl
The Adventures Of Chanticleer And Partlet
Rapunzel
Fundevogel
The Valiant Little Tailor
Hansel And Gretel
The Mouse, The Bird, And The Sausage
Mother Holle
Little Red-Cap [Little Red Riding Hood]
The Robber Bridegroom
Tom Thumb
Rumpelstiltskin
Clever Gretel
The Old Man And His Grandson
The Little Peasant
Frederick And Catherine
Sweetheart Roland
Snowdrop
The Pink
Clever Elsie
The Miser In The Bush
Ashputtel
The White Snake
The Wolf And The Seven Little Kids
The Queen Bee
The Elves And The Shoemaker
The Juniper-Tree
The Turnip
Clever Hans
The Three Languages
The Fox And The Cat
The Four Clever Brothers
Lily And The Lion
The Fox And The Horse
The Blue Light
The Raven
The Golden Goose
The Water Of Life
The Twelve Huntsmen
The King Of The Golden Mountain
Doctor Knowall
The Seven Ravens
The Wedding Of Mrs Fox
The Salad
The Story Of The Youth Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was
King Grisly-Beard
Iron Hans
Cat-Skin
Snow-White And Rose-Red
The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
The Golden Bird
A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a
tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and
about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every
night one of them was gone. The king became very angry at this,
and ordered the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree.
The gardener set his eldest son to watch; but about twelve o'clock he
fell asleep, and in the morning another of the apples was missing. Then
the second son was ordered to watch; and at midnight he too fell
asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. Then the third son
offered to keep watch; but the gardener at first would not let him,
for fear some harm should come to him: however, at last he
consented, and the young man laid himself under the tree to watch. As
the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird
came flying that was of pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the
apples with its beak, the gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at
it. But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden
feather from its tail, and then flew away. The golden feather was
brought to the king in the morning, and all the council was
called together. Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the
wealth of the kingdom: but the king said, 'One feather is of no use
to me, I must have the whole bird.'
Then the gardener's eldest son set out and thought to find the golden
bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a
wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his
bow and made ready to shoot at it. Then the fox said, 'Do not shoot me,
for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, and that
you want to find the golden bird. You will reach a village in the
evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns opposite to each
other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go not
in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may appear to
you to be very poor and mean.' But the son thought to himself, 'What
can such a beast as this know about the matter?' So he shot his arrow
at the fox; but he missed it, and it set up its tail above its back and
ran into the wood. Then he went his way, and in the evening came to
the village where the two inns were; and in one of these were people
singing, and dancing, and feasting; but the other looked very dirty, and
poor. 'I should be very silly,' said he, 'if I went to that shabby
house, and left this charming place'; so he went into the smart
house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the bird, and his
country too.
Time passed on; and as the eldest son did not come back, and no
tidings were heard of him, the second son set out, and the same thing
happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the good advice: but when
he came to the two inns, his eldest brother was standing at the
window where the merrymaking was, and called to him to come in; and he
could not withstand the temptation, but went in, and forgot the golden
bird and his country in the same manner.
Time passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into
the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not
listen to it for a long while, for he was very fond of his son, and was
afraid that some ill luck might happen to him also, and prevent
his coming back. However, at last it was agreed he should go, for he
would not rest at home; and as he came to the wood, he met the fox,
and heard the same good counsel. But he was thankful to the fox, and
did not attempt his life as his brothers had done; so the fox said,
'Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.' So he sat down, and
the fox began to run, and away they went over stock and stone so quick
that their hair whistled in the wind.
When they came to the village, the son followed the fox's counsel,
and without looking about him went to the shabby inn and rested
there all night at his ease. In the morning came the fox again and met
him as he was beginning his journey, and said, 'Go straight forward,
till you come to a castle, before which lie a whole troop of
soldiers fast asleep and snoring: take no notice of them, but go into
the castle and pass on and on till you come to a room, where the
golden bird sits in a wooden cage; close by it stands a beautiful
golden cage; but do not try to take the bird out of the shabby cage
and put it into the handsome one, otherwise you will repent it.' Then
the fox stretched out his tail again, and the young man sat himself
down, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled
in the wind.
Before the castle gate all was as the fox had said: so the son went in
and found the chamber where the golden bird hung in a wooden cage, and
below stood the golden cage, and the three golden apples that had been
lost were lying close by it. Then thought he to himself, 'It will be a
very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage';
so he opened the door and took hold of it and put it into the golden
cage. But the bird set up such a loud scream that all the soldiers
awoke, and they took him prisoner and carried him before the king. The
next morning the court sat to judge him; and when all was heard, it
sentenced him to die, unless he should bring the king the golden horse
which could run as swiftly as the wind; and if he did this, he was to
have the golden bird given him for his own.
So he set out once more on his journey, sighing, and in great
despair, when on a sudden his friend the fox met him, and said, 'You
see now what has happened on account of your not listening to my
counsel. I will still, however, tell you how to find the golden horse,
if you will do as I bid you. You must go straight on till you come to
the castle where the horse stands in his stall: by his side will
lie the groom fast asleep and snoring: take away the horse quietly,
but be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him, and not the golden
one that is close by it.' Then the son sat down on the fox's tail, and
away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the
wind.
All went right, and the groom lay snoring with his hand upon the
golden saddle. But when the son looked at the horse, he thought it a
great pity to put the leathern saddle upon it. 'I will give him the
good one,' said he; 'I am sure he deserves it.' As he took up the
golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out so loud, that all the
guards ran in and took him prisoner, and in the morning he was again
brought before the court to be judged, and was sentenced to die. But
it was agreed, that, if he could bring thither the beautiful
princess, he should live, and have the bird and the horse given him
for his own.
Then he went his way very sorrowful; but the old fox came and said,
'Why did not you listen to me? If you had, you would have carried away
both the bird and the horse; yet will I once more give you counsel. Go
straight on, and in the evening you will arrive at a castle. At twelve
o'clock at night the princess goes to the bathing-house: go up to her
and give her a kiss, and she will let you lead her away; but take care
you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother.'
Then the fox stretched out his tail, and so away they went over
stock and stone till their hair whistled again.
As they came to the castle, all was as the fox had said, and at
twelve o'clock the young man met the princess going to the bath and gave
her the kiss, and she agreed to run away with him, but begged with many
tears that he would let her take leave of her father. At first he
refused, but she wept still more and more, and fell at his feet, till
at last he consented; but the moment she came to her father's house the
guards awoke and he was taken prisoner again.
Then he was brought before the king, and the king said, 'You shall
never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that
stops the view from my window.' Now this hill was so big that the whole
world could not take it away: and when he had worked for seven days,
and had done very little, the fox came and said. 'Lie down and go to
sleep; I will work for you.' And in the morning he awoke and the
hill was gone; so he went merrily to the king, and told him that
now that it was removed he must give him the princess.
Then the king was obliged to keep his word, and away went the young
man and the princess; and the fox came and said to him, 'We will
have all three, the princess, the horse, and the bird.' 'Ah!' said the
young man, 'that would be a great thing, but how can you contrive it?'
'If you will only listen,' said the fox, 'it can be done. When you come
to the king, and he asks for the beautiful princess, you must say, "Here
she is!" Then he will be very joyful; and you will mount the golden
horse that they are to give you, and put out your hand to take leave
of them; but shake hands with the princess last. Then lift her quickly
on to the horse behind you; clap your spurs to his side, and gallop
away as fast as you can.'
All went right: then the fox said, 'When you come to the castle where
the bird is, I will stay with the princess at the door, and you will
ride in and speak to the king; and when he sees that it is the right
horse, he will bring out the bird; but you must sit still, and say that
you want to look at it, to see whether it is the true golden bird; and
when you get it into your hand, ride away.'
This, too, happened as the fox said; they carried off the bird,
the princess mounted again, and they rode on to a great wood. Then
the fox came, and said, 'Pray kill me, and cut off my head and my
feet.' But the young man refused to do it: so the fox said, 'I will at
any rate give you good counsel: beware of two things; ransom no one
from the gallows, and sit down by the side of no river.' Then away he
went. 'Well,' thought the young man, 'it is no hard matter to keep that
advice.'
He rode on with the princess, till at last he came to the village where
he had left his two brothers. And there he heard a great noise and
uproar; and when he asked what was the matter, the people said, 'Two men
are going to be hanged.' As he came nearer, he saw that the two
men were his brothers, who had turned robbers; so he said, 'Cannot
they in any way be saved?' But the people said 'No,' unless he would
bestow all his money upon the rascals and buy their liberty. Then he
did not stay to think about the matter, but paid what was asked, and
his brothers were given up, and went on with him towards their home.
And as they came to the wood where the fox first met them, it was so
cool and pleasant that the two brothers said, 'Let us sit down by the
side of the river, and rest a while, to eat and drink.' So he said,
'Yes,' and forgot the fox's counsel, and sat down on the side of the
river; and while he suspected nothing, they came behind, and threw him
down the bank, and took the princess, the horse, and the bird, and
went home to the king their master, and said. 'All this have we won
by our labour.' Then there was great rejoicing made; but the horse
would not eat, the bird would not sing, and the princess wept.
The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river's bed: luckily it
was nearly dry, but his bones were almost broken, and the bank was so
steep that he could find no way to get out. Then the old fox came once
more, and scolded him for not following his advice; otherwise no evil
would have befallen him: 'Yet,' said he, 'I cannot leave you here, so
lay hold of my tail and hold fast.' Then he pulled him out of the
river, and said to him, as he got upon the bank, 'Your brothers have
set watch to kill you, if they find you in the kingdom.' So he
dressed himself as a poor man, and came secretly to the king's court,
and was scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat, and
the bird to sing, and princess left off weeping. Then he went to the
king, and told him all his brothers' roguery; and they were seized and
punished, and he had the princess given to him again; and after the
king's death he was heir to his kingdom.
A long while after, he went to walk one day in the wood, and the old
fox met him, and besought him with tears in his eyes to kill him, and
cut off his head and feet. And at last he did so, and in a moment
the fox was changed into a man, and turned out to be the brother of the
princess, who had been lost a great many many years.
Hans in Luck
Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes
right--all that falls to them is so much gain--all their geese are
swans--all their cards are trumps--toss them which way you will, they
will always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on
so much the faster. The world may very likely not always think
of them as they think of themselves, but what care they for the
world? what can it know about the matter?
One of these lucky beings was neighbour Hans. Seven long years he
had worked hard for his master. At last he said, 'Master, my time is
up; I must go home and see my poor mother once more: so pray pay me my
wages and let me go.' And the master said, 'You have been a
faithful and good servant, Hans, so your pay shall be handsome.' Then
he gave him a lump of silver as big as his head.
Hans took out his pocket-handkerchief, put the piece of silver into
it, threw it over his shoulder, and jogged off on his road homewards.
As he went lazily on, dragging one foot after another, a man came
in sight, trotting gaily along on a capital horse. 'Ah!' said Hans
aloud, 'what a fine thing it is to ride on horseback! There he sits as
easy and happy as if he was at home, in the chair by his fireside;
he trips against no stones, saves shoe-leather, and gets on he hardly
knows how.' Hans did not speak so softly but the horseman heard it
all, and said, 'Well, friend, why do you go on foot then?' 'Ah!' said
he, 'I have this load to carry: to be sure it is silver, but it is so
heavy that I can't hold up my head, and you must know it hurts my
shoulder sadly.' 'What do you say of making an exchange?' said the
horseman. 'I will give you my horse, and you shall give me the
silver; which will save you a great deal of trouble in carrying
such a heavy load about with you.' 'With all my heart,' said Hans:
'but as you are so kind to me, I must tell you one thing--you will
have a weary task to draw that silver about with you.' However,
the horseman got off, took the silver, helped Hans up, gave him the
bridle into one hand and the whip into the other, and said, 'When you
want to go very fast, smack your lips loudly together, and cry "Jip!"'
Hans was delighted as he sat on the horse, drew himself up, squared
his elbows, turned out his toes, cracked his whip, and rode merrily
off, one minute whistling a merry tune, and another singing,
'No care and no sorrow,
A fig for the morrow!
We'll laugh and be merry,
Sing neigh down derry!'
After a time he thought he should like to go a little faster, so
he smacked his lips and cried 'Jip!' Away went the horse full gallop;
and before Hans knew what he was about, he was thrown off, and lay on
his back by the road-side. His horse would have ran off, if a
shepherd who was coming by, driving a cow, had not stopped it. Hans
soon came to himself, and got upon his legs again, sadly vexed, and
said to the shepherd, 'This riding is no joke, when a man has the luck
to get upon a beast like this that stumbles and flings him off as if
it would break his neck. However, I'm off now once for all: I like
your cow now a great deal better than this smart beast that played me
this trick, and has spoiled my best coat, you see, in this puddle;
which, by the by, smells not very like a nosegay. One can walk along at
one's leisure behind that cow--keep good company, and have milk, butter,
and cheese, every day, into the bargain. What would I give to have
such a prize!' 'Well,' said the shepherd, 'if you are so fond of her, I
will change my cow for your horse; I like to do good to my
neighbours, even though I lose by it myself.' 'Done!' said Hans,
merrily. 'What a noble heart that good man has!' thought he. Then
the shepherd jumped upon the horse, wished Hans and the cow good
morning, and away he rode.
Hans brushed his coat, wiped his face and hands, rested a while, and
then drove off his cow quietly, and thought his bargain a very lucky
one. 'If I have only a piece of bread (and I certainly shall always be
able to get that), I can, whenever I like, eat my butter and cheese
with it; and when I am thirsty I can milk my cow and drink the milk:
and what can I wish for more?' When he came to an inn, he halted, ate
up all his bread, and gave away his last penny for a glass of beer.
When he had rested himself he set off again, driving his cow towards his
mother's village. But the heat grew greater as soon as noon came on,
till at last, as he found himself on a wide heath that would take him
more than an hour to cross, he began to be so hot and parched that his
tongue clave to the roof of his mouth. 'I can find a cure for this,'
thought he; 'now I will milk my cow and quench my thirst': so he tied
her to the stump of a tree, and held his leathern cap to milk into; but
not a drop was to be had. Who would have thought that this cow, which
was to bring him milk and butter and cheese, was all that time utterly
dry? Hans had not thought of looking to that.
While he was trying his luck in milking, and managing the matter
very clumsily, the uneasy beast began to think him very troublesome;
and at last gave him such a kick on the head as knocked him down; and
there he lay a long while senseless. Luckily a butcher soon came by,
driving a pig in a wheelbarrow. 'What is the matter with you, my man?'
said the butcher, as he helped him up. Hans told him what had happened,
how he was dry, and wanted to milk his cow, but found the cow was dry
too. Then the butcher gave him a flask of ale, saying, 'There, drink
and refresh yourself; your cow will give you no milk: don't you see
she is an old beast, good for nothing but the slaughter-house?' 'Alas,
alas!' said Hans, 'who would have thought it? What a shame to take my
horse, and give me only a dry cow! If I kill her, what will she be good
for? I hate cow-beef; it is not tender enough for me. If it were a
pig now--like that fat gentleman you are driving along at his
ease--one could do something with it; it would at any rate make
sausages.' 'Well,' said the butcher, 'I don't like to say no, when
one is asked to do a kind, neighbourly thing. To please you I will
change, and give you my fine fat pig for the cow.' 'Heaven reward you
for your kindness and self-denial!' said Hans, as he gave the butcher
the cow; and taking the pig off the wheel-barrow, drove it away, holding
it by the string that was tied to its leg.
So on he jogged, and all seemed now to go right with him: he had met
with some misfortunes, to be sure; but he was now well repaid for
all. How could it be otherwise with such a travelling companion as he
had at last got?
The next man he met was a countryman carrying a fine white goose.
The countryman stopped to ask what was o'clock; this led to further
chat; and Hans told him all his luck, how he had so many good bargains,
and how all the world went gay and smiling with him. The countryman
than began to tell his tale, and said he was going to take the
goose to a christening. 'Feel,' said he, 'how heavy it is, and yet
it is only eight weeks old. Whoever roasts and eats it will find
plenty of fat upon it, it has lived so well!' 'You're right,' said
Hans, as he weighed it in his hand; 'but if you talk of fat, my pig is
no trifle.' Meantime the countryman began to look grave, and shook his
head. 'Hark ye!' said he, 'my worthy friend, you seem a good sort of
fellow, so I can't help doing you a kind turn. Your pig may get you
into a scrape. In the village I just came from, the squire has had a pig
stolen out of his sty. I was dreadfully afraid when I saw you that
you had got the squire's pig. If you have, and they catch you, it will
be a bad job for you. The least they will do will be to throw you
into the horse-pond. Can you swim?'
Poor Hans was sadly frightened. 'Good man,' cried he, 'pray get me out
of this scrape. I know nothing of where the pig was either bred or born;
but he may have been the squire's for aught I can tell: you know this
country better than I do, take my pig and give me the goose.' 'I
ought to have something into the bargain,' said the countryman; 'give a
fat goose for a pig, indeed! 'Tis not everyone would do so much for you
as that. However, I will not be hard upon you, as you are in
trouble.' Then he took the string in his hand, and drove off the pig
by a side path; while Hans went on the way homewards free from care.
'After all,' thought he, 'that chap is pretty well taken in. I don't
care whose pig it is, but wherever it came from it has been a very
good friend to me. I have much the best of the bargain. First there
will be a capital roast; then the fat will find me in goose-grease for
six months; and then there are all the beautiful white feathers. I
will put them into my pillow, and then I am sure I shall sleep soundly
without rocking. How happy my mother will be! Talk of a pig, indeed!
Give me a fine fat goose.'
As he came to the next village, he saw a scissor-grinder with his
wheel, working and singing,
'O'er hill and o'er dale
So happy I roam,
Work light and live well,
All the world is my home;
Then who so blythe, so merry as I?'
Hans stood looking on for a while, and at last said, 'You must be
well off, master grinder! you seem so happy at your work.' 'Yes,'
said the other, 'mine is a golden trade; a good grinder never puts
his hand into his pocket without finding money in it--but where
did you get that beautiful goose?' 'I did not buy it, I gave a pig
for it.' 'And where did you get the pig?' 'I gave a cow for it.' 'And
the cow?' 'I gave a horse for it.' 'And the horse?' 'I gave a lump of
silver as big as my head for it.' 'And the silver?' 'Oh! I worked hard
for that seven long years.' 'You have thriven well in the world
hitherto,' said the grinder, 'now if you could find money in your
pocket whenever you put your hand in it, your fortune would be made.'
'Very true: but how is that to be managed?' 'How? Why, you must turn
grinder like myself,' said the other; 'you only want a grindstone; the
rest will come of itself. Here is one that is but little the worse for
wear: I would not ask more than the value of your goose for it--will
you buy?' 'How can you ask?' said Hans; 'I should be the happiest man
in the world, if I could have money whenever I put my hand in my
pocket: what could I want more? there's the goose.' 'Now,' said
the grinder, as he gave him a common rough stone that lay by his side,
'this is a most capital stone; do but work it well enough, and you can
make an old nail cut with it.'
Hans took the stone, and went his way with a light heart: his
eyes sparkled for joy, and he said to himself, 'Surely I must have been
born in a lucky hour; everything I could want or wish for comes of
itself. People are so kind; they seem really to think I do them a
favour in letting them make me rich, and giving me good bargains.'
Meantime he began to be tired, and hungry too, for he had given away
his last penny in his joy at getting the cow.
At last he could go no farther, for the stone tired him sadly: and
he dragged himself to the side of a river, that he might take a
drink of water, and rest a while. So he laid the stone carefully by his
side on the bank: but, as he stooped down to drink, he forgot it, pushed
it a little, and down it rolled, plump into the stream.
For a while he watched it sinking in the deep clear water; then sprang
up and danced for joy, and again fell upon his knees and thanked Heaven,
with tears in his eyes, for its kindness in taking away his only
plague, the ugly heavy stone.
'How happy am I!' cried he; 'nobody was ever so lucky as I.' Then up
he got with a light heart, free from all his troubles, and walked on
till he reached his mother's house, and told her how very easy the
road to good luck was.
Jorinda And Jorindel
There was once an old castle, that stood in the middle of a deep
gloomy wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. Now this fairy could
take any shape she pleased. All the day long she flew about in the form
of an owl, or crept about the country like a cat; but at night she
always became an old woman again. When any young man came within a
hundred paces of her castle, he became quite fixed, and could not move
a step till she came and set him free; which she would not do till he
had given her his word never to come there again: but when any pretty
maiden came within that space she was changed into a bird, and the fairy
put her into a cage, and hung her up in a chamber in the castle.
There were seven hundred of these cages hanging in the castle, and all
with beautiful birds in them.
Now there was once a maiden whose name was Jorinda. She was prettier
than all the pretty girls that ever were seen before, and a shepherd
lad, whose name was Jorindel, was very fond of her, and they were soon
to be married. One day they went to walk in the wood, that they
might be alone; and Jorindel said, 'We must take care that we don't go
too near to the fairy's castle.' It was a beautiful evening; the last
rays of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the
trees upon the green underwood beneath, and the turtle-doves sang from
the tall birches.
Jorinda sat down to gaze upon the sun; Jorindel sat by her side; and
both felt sad, they knew not why; but it seemed as if they were to be
parted from one another for ever. They had wandered a long way; and
when they looked to see which way they should go home, they found
themselves at a loss to know what path to take.
The sun was setting fast, and already half of its circle had sunk
behind the hill: Jorindel on a sudden looked behind him, and saw
through the bushes that they had, without knowing it, sat down close
under the old walls of the castle. Then he shrank for fear, turned
pale, and trembled. Jorinda was just singing,
'The ring-dove sang from the willow spray,
Well-a-day! Well-a-day!
He mourn'd for the fate of his darling mate,
Well-a-day!'
when her song stopped suddenly. Jorindel turned to see the reason,
and beheld his Jorinda changed into a nightingale, so that her song
ended with a mournful _jug, jug._ An owl with fiery eyes flew three
times round them, and three times screamed:
'Tu whu! Tu whu! Tu whu!'
Jorindel could not move; he stood fixed as a stone, and could
neither weep, nor speak, nor stir hand or foot. And now the sun went
quite down; the gloomy night came; the owl flew into a bush; and a
moment after the old fairy came forth pale and meagre, with staring
eyes, and a nose and chin that almost met one another.
She mumbled something to herself, seized the nightingale, and went
away with it in her hand. Poor Jorindel saw the nightingale was
gone--but what could he do? He could not speak, he could not move from
the spot where he stood. At last the fairy came back and sang with a
hoarse voice:
'Till the prisoner is fast,
And her doom is cast,
There stay! Oh, stay!
When the charm is around her,
And the spell has bound her,
Hie away! away!'
On a sudden Jorindel found himself free. Then he fell on his knees
before the fairy, and prayed her to give him back his dear Jorinda:
but she laughed at him, and said he should never see her again; then
she went her way.
He prayed, he wept, he sorrowed, but all in vain. 'Alas!' he said,
'what will become of me?' He could not go back to his own home, so he
went to a strange village, and employed himself in keeping sheep. Many
a time did he walk round and round as near to the hated castle as he
dared go, but all in vain; he heard or saw nothing of Jorinda.
At last he dreamt one night that he found a beautiful purple flower,
and that in the middle of it lay a costly pearl; and he dreamt that he
plucked the flower, and went with it in his hand into the castle,
and that everything he touched with it was disenchanted, and that
there he found his Jorinda again.
In the morning when he awoke, he began to search over hill and dale
for this pretty flower; and eight long days he sought for it in vain:
but on the ninth day, early in the morning, he found the beautiful
purple flower; and in the middle of it was a large dewdrop, as big as
a costly pearl. Then he plucked the flower, and set out and travelled
day and night, till he came again to the castle.
He walked nearer than a hundred paces to it, and yet he did not
become fixed as before, but found that he could go quite close up to
the door. Jorindel was very glad indeed to see this. Then he touched
the door with the flower, and it sprang open; so that he went in
through the court, and listened when he heard so many birds singing.
At last he came to the chamber where the fairy sat, with the seven
hundred birds singing in the seven hundred cages. When she saw
Jorindel she was very angry, and screamed with rage; but she could
not come within two yards of him, for the flower he held in his hand
was his safeguard. He looked around at the birds, but alas! there were
many, many nightingales, and how then should he find out which was
his Jorinda? While he was thinking what to do, he saw the fairy had
taken down one of the cages, and was making the best of her way off
through the door. He ran or flew after her, touched the cage with the
flower, and Jorinda stood before him, and threw her arms round his
neck looking as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as when they walked
together in the wood.
Then he touched all the other birds with the flower, so that they all
took their old forms again; and he took Jorinda home, where they were
married, and lived happily together many years: and so did a good many
other lads, whose maidens had been forced to sing in the old
fairy's cages by themselves, much longer than they liked.
The Travelling Musicians
An honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful servant to him
a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and
more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired of keeping him and
began to think of putting an end to him; but the ass, who saw that
some mischief was in the wind, took himself slyly off, and began his
journey towards the great city, 'For there,' thought he, 'I may turn
musician.'
After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the
roadside and panting as if he were tired. 'What makes you pant so, my
friend?' said the ass. 'Alas!' said the dog, 'my master was going to
knock me on the head, because I am old and weak, and can no longer
make myself useful to him in hunting; so I ran away; but what can I do
to earn my livelihood?' 'Hark ye!' said the ass, 'I am going to the
great city to turn musician: suppose you go with me, and try what you
can do in the same way?' The dog said he was willing, and they jogged
on together.
They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of
the road and making a most rueful face. 'Pray, my good lady,' said the
ass, 'what's the matter with you? You look quite out of spirits!'
'Ah, me!' said the cat, 'how can one be in good spirits when one's
life is in danger? Because I am beginning to grow old, and had rather
lie at my ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice, my
mistress laid hold of me, and was going to drown me; and though I have
been lucky enough to get away from her, I do not know what I am to
live upon.' 'Oh,' said the ass, 'by all means go with us to the
great city; you are a good night singer, and may make your fortune as
a musician.' The cat was pleased with the thought, and joined the party.
Soon afterwards, as they were passing by a farmyard, they saw a
cock perched upon a gate, and screaming out with all his might and
main. 'Bravo!' said the ass; 'upon my word, you make a famous noise;
pray what is all this about?' 'Why,' said the cock, 'I was just now
saying that we should have fine weather for our washing-day, and yet my
mistress and the cook don't thank me for my pains, but threaten
to cut off my head tomorrow, and make broth of me for the guests that
are coming on Sunday!' 'Heaven forbid!' said the ass, 'come with us
Master Chanticleer; it will be better, at any rate, than staying
here to have your head cut off! Besides, who knows? If we care to
sing in tune, we may get up some kind of a concert; so come along with
us.' 'With all my heart,' said the cock: so they all four went on
jollily together.
They could not, however, reach the great city the first day; so when
night came on, they went into a wood to sleep. The ass and the
dog laid themselves down under a great tree, and the cat climbed
up into the branches; while the cock, thinking that the higher he
sat the safer he should be, flew up to the very top of the tree, and
then, according to his custom, before he went to sleep, looked out on
all sides of him to see that everything was well. In doing this, he
saw afar off something bright and shining and calling to his companions
said, 'There must be a house no great way off, for I see a light.' 'If
that be the case,' said the ass, 'we had better change our quarters,
for our lodging is not the best in the world!' 'Besides,' added the dog,
'I should not be the worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat.' So they
walked off together towards the spot where Chanticleer had seen the
light, and as they drew near it became larger and brighter, till they
at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers lived.
The ass, being the tallest of the company, marched up to the window
and peeped in. 'Well, Donkey,' said Chanticleer, 'what do you see?'
'What do I see?' replied the ass. 'Why, I see a table spread with all
kinds of good things, and robbers sitting round it making merry.' 'That
would be a noble lodging for us,' said the cock. 'Yes,' said the ass,
'if we could only get in'; so they consulted together how they
should contrive to get the robbers out; and at last they hit upon
a plan. The ass placed himself upright on his hind legs, with his
forefeet resting against the window; the dog got upon his back; the
cat scrambled up to the dog's shoulders, and the cock flew up and sat
upon the cat's head. When all was ready a signal was given, and they
began their music. The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed,
and the cock screamed; and then they all broke through the window at
once, and came tumbling into the room, amongst the broken glass, with
a most hideous clatter! The robbers, who had been not a little
frightened by the opening concert, had now no doubt that some
frightful hobgoblin had broken in upon them, and scampered away as fast
as they could.
The coast once clear, our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what
the robbers had left, with as much eagerness as if they had not
expected to eat again for a month. As soon as they had satisfied
themselves, they put out the lights, and each once more sought out a
resting-place to his own liking. The donkey laid himself down upon a
heap of straw in the yard, the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind
the door, the cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm
ashes, and the cock perched upon a beam on the top of the house; and,
as they were all rather tired with their journey, they soon fell
asleep.
But about midnight, when the robbers saw from afar that the lights
were out and that all seemed quiet, they began to think that they had
been in too great a hurry to run away; and one of them, who was
bolder than the rest, went to see what was going on. Finding everything
still, he marched into the kitchen, and groped about till he found a
match in order to light a candle; and then, espying the glittering
fiery eyes of the cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held the
match to them to light it. But the cat, not understanding this joke,
sprang at his face, and spat, and scratched at him. This frightened
him dreadfully, and away he ran to the back door; but there the dog
jumped up and bit him in the leg; and as he was crossing over the yard
the ass kicked him; and the cock, who had been awakened by the noise,
crowed with all his might. At this the robber ran back as fast as he
could to his comrades, and told the captain how a horrid witch had
got into the house, and had spat at him and scratched his face with her
long bony fingers; how a man with a knife in his hand had hidden
himself behind the door, and stabbed him in the leg; how a black
monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club, and how the
devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out, 'Throw the
rascal up here!' After this the robbers never dared to go back to the
house; but the musicians were so pleased with their quarters that
they took up their abode there; and there they are, I dare say, at
this very day.
Old Sultan
A shepherd had a faithful dog, called Sultan, who was grown very old,
and had lost all his teeth. And one day when the shepherd and his wife
were standing together before the house the shepherd said, 'I will
shoot old Sultan tomorrow morning, for he is of no use now.' But
his wife said, 'Pray let the poor faithful creature live; he has
served us well a great many years, and we ought to give him a
livelihood for the rest of his days.' 'But what can we do with him?'
said the shepherd, 'he has not a tooth in his head, and the thieves
don't care for him at all; to be sure he has served us, but then he
did it to earn his livelihood; tomorrow shall be his last day, depend
upon it.'
Poor Sultan, who was lying close by them, heard all that the shepherd
and his wife said to one another, and was very much frightened to
think tomorrow would be his last day; so in the evening he went to
his good friend the wolf, who lived in the wood, and told him all his
sorrows, and how his master meant to kill him in the morning. 'Make
yourself easy,' said the wolf, 'I will give you some good advice. Your
master, you know, goes out every morning very early with his wife into
the field; and they take their little child with them, and lay it down
behind the hedge in the shade while they are at work. Now do you lie
down close by the child, and pretend to be watching it, and I will
come out of the wood and run away with it; you must run after me as
fast as you can, and I will let it drop; then you may carry it back,
and they will think you have saved their child, and will be so
thankful to you that they will take care of you as long as you live.'
The dog liked this plan very well; and accordingly so it was managed.
The wolf ran with the child a little way; the shepherd and his wife
screamed out; but Sultan soon overtook him, and carried the poor little
thing back to his master and mistress. Then the shepherd patted him on
the head, and said, 'Old Sultan has saved our child from the wolf, and
therefore he shall live and be well taken care of, and have plenty to
eat. Wife, go home, and give him a good dinner, and let him have my old
cushion to sleep on as long as he lives.' So from this time forward
Sultan had all that he could wish for.
Soon afterwards the wolf came and wished him joy, and said, 'Now, my
good fellow, you must tell no tales, but turn your head the other way
when I want to taste one of the old shepherd's fine fat sheep.' 'No,'
said the Sultan; 'I will be true to my master.' However, the wolf
thought he was in joke, and came one night to get a dainty morsel. But
Sultan had told his master what the wolf meant to do; so he laid wait
for him behind the barn door, and when the wolf was busy looking out
for a good fat sheep, he had a stout cudgel laid about his back, that
combed his locks for him finely.
Then the wolf was very angry, and called Sultan 'an old rogue,' and
swore he would have his revenge. So the next morning the wolf sent the
boar to challenge Sultan to come into the wood to fight the matter. Now
Sultan had nobody he could ask to be his second but the shepherd's old
three-legged cat; so he took her with him, and as the poor thing limped
along with some trouble, she stuck up her tail straight in the air.
The wolf and the wild boar were first on the ground; and when they
espied their enemies coming, and saw the cat's long tail standing
straight in the air, they thought she was carrying a sword for Sultan
to fight with; and every time she limped, they thought she was picking
up a stone to throw at them; so they said they should not like this way
of fighting, and the boar lay down behind a bush, and the wolf jumped up
into a tree. Sultan and the cat soon came up, and looked about and
wondered that no one was there. The boar, however, had not quite hidden
himself, for his ears stuck out of the bush; and when he shook one of
them a little, the cat, seeing something move, and thinking it was a
mouse, sprang upon it, and bit and scratched it, so that the boar
jumped up and grunted, and ran away, roaring out, 'Look up in the
tree, there sits the one who is to blame.' So they looked up, and
espied the wolf sitting amongst the branches; and they called him a
cowardly rascal, and would not suffer him to come down till he was
heartily ashamed of himself, and had promised to be good friends
again with old Sultan.
The Straw, The Coal, And The Bean
In a village dwelt a poor old woman, who had gathered together a dish
of beans and wanted to cook them. So she made a fire on her hearth, and
that it might burn the quicker, she lighted it with a handful of
straw. When she was emptying the beans into the pan, one dropped
without her observing it, and lay on the ground beside a straw, and
soon afterwards a burning coal from the fire leapt down to the two.
Then the straw began and said: 'Dear friends, from whence do you
come here?' The coal replied: 'I fortunately sprang out of the
fire, and if I had not escaped by sheer force, my death would have
been certain,--I should have been burnt to ashes.' The bean said: 'I
too have escaped with a whole skin, but if the old woman had got me
into the pan, I should have been made into broth without any mercy,
like my comrades.' 'And would a better fate have fallen to my lot?' said
the straw. 'The old woman has destroyed all my brethren in fire and
smoke; she seized sixty of them at once, and took their lives. I luckily
slipped through her fingers.'
'But what are we to do now?' said the coal.
'I think,' answered the bean, 'that as we have so fortunately
escaped death, we should keep together like good companions, and
lest a new mischance should overtake us here, we should go away
together, and repair to a foreign country.'
The proposition pleased the two others, and they set out on their
way together. Soon, however, they came to a little brook, and as there
was no bridge or foot-plank, they did not know how they were to get
over it. The straw hit on a good idea, and said: 'I will lay myself
straight across, and then you can walk over on me as on a bridge.'
The straw therefore stretched itself from one bank to the other, and
the coal, who was of an impetuous disposition, tripped quite boldly on
to the newly-built bridge. But when she had reached the middle, and
heard the water rushing beneath her, she was after all, afraid, and
stood still, and ventured no farther. The straw, however, began to
burn, broke in two pieces, and fell into the stream. The coal slipped
after her, hissed when she got into the water, and breathed her last.
The bean, who had prudently stayed behind on the shore, could not but
laugh at the event, was unable to stop, and laughed so heartily that
she burst. It would have been all over with her, likewise, if, by
good fortune, a tailor who was travelling in search of work, had not
sat down to rest by the brook. As he had a compassionate heart he
pulled out his needle and thread, and sewed her together. The bean
thanked him most prettily, but as the tailor used black thread, all
beans since then have a black seam.
Briar Rose
A king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way
off, where there were in those days fairies. Now this king and queen had
plenty of money, and plenty of fine clothes to wear, and plenty of good
things to eat and drink, and a coach to ride out in every day: but
though they had been married many years they had no children, and this
grieved them very much indeed. But one day as the queen was walking
by the side of the river, at the bottom of the garden, she saw a poor
little fish, that had thrown itself out of the water, and lay gasping
and nearly dead on the bank. Then the queen took pity on the little
fish, and threw it back again into the river; and before it swam away
it lifted its head out of the water and said, 'I know what your wish
is, and it shall be fulfilled, in return for your kindness to me--you
will soon have a daughter.' What the little fish had foretold soon
came to pass; and the queen had a little girl, so very beautiful that
the king could not cease looking on it for joy, and said he would
hold a great feast and make merry, and show the child to all the
land. So he asked his kinsmen, and nobles, and friends, and
neighbours. But the queen said, 'I will have the fairies also, that
they might be kind and good to our little daughter.' Now there
were thirteen fairies in the kingdom; but as the king and queen had only
twelve golden dishes for them to eat out of, they were forced to leave
one of the fairies without asking her. So twelve fairies came, each
with a high red cap on her head, and red shoes with high heels on her
feet, and a long white wand in her hand: and after the feast was over
they gathered round in a ring and gave all their best gifts to the
little princess. One gave her goodness, another beauty, another riches,
and so on till she had all that was good in the world.
Just as eleven of them had done blessing her, a great noise was heard
in the courtyard, and word was brought that the thirteenth fairy was
come, with a black cap on her head, and black shoes on her feet,
and a broomstick in her hand: and presently up she came into the
dining-hall. Now, as she had not been asked to the feast she was
very angry, and scolded the king and queen very much, and set to work
to take her revenge. So she cried out, 'The king's daughter shall, in
her fifteenth year, be wounded by a spindle, and fall down dead.'
Then the twelfth of the friendly fairies, who had not yet given her
gift, came forward, and said that the evil wish must be fulfilled,
but that she could soften its mischief; so her gift was, that the
king's daughter, when the spindle wounded her, should not really
die, but should only fall asleep for a hundred years.
However, the king hoped still to save his dear child altogether from
the threatened evil; so he ordered that all the spindles in the kingdom
should be bought up and burnt. But all the gifts of the first eleven
fairies were in the meantime fulfilled; for the princess was so
beautiful, and well behaved, and good, and wise, that everyone who knew
her loved her.
It happened that, on the very day she was fifteen years old, the king
and queen were not at home, and she was left alone in the palace. So she
roved about by herself, and looked at all the rooms and chambers, till
at last she came to an old tower, to which there was a narrow
staircase ending with a little door. In the door there was a golden
key, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there sat an
old lady spinning away very busily. 'Why, how now, good mother,' said
the princess; 'what are you doing there?' 'Spinning,' said the old lady,
and nodded her head, humming a tune, while buzz! went the wheel. 'How
prettily that little thing turns round!' said the princess, and took
the spindle and began to try and spin. But scarcely had she touched
it, before the fairy's prophecy was fulfilled; the spindle wounded
her, and she fell down lifeless on the ground.
However, she was not dead, but had only fallen into a deep sleep; and
the king and the queen, who had just come home, and all their court,
fell asleep too; and the horses slept in the stables, and the dogs
in the court, the pigeons on the house-top, and the very flies slept
upon the walls. Even the fire on the hearth left off blazing, and
went to sleep; the jack stopped, and the spit that was turning about
with a goose upon it for the king's dinner stood still; and the cook,
who was at that moment pulling the kitchen-boy by the hair to give
him a box on the ear for something he had done amiss, let him go, and
both fell asleep; the butler, who was slyly tasting the ale, fell
asleep with the jug at his lips: and thus everything stood still, and
slept soundly.
A large hedge of thorns soon grew round the palace, and every year
it became higher and thicker; till at last the old palace was surrounded
and hidden, so that not even the roof or the chimneys could be seen. But
there went a report through all the land of the beautiful sleeping
Briar Rose (for so the king's daughter was called): so that, from
time to time, several kings' sons came, and tried to break through the
thicket into the palace. This, however, none of them could ever do;
for the thorns and bushes laid hold of them, as it were with hands;
and there they stuck fast, and died wretchedly.
After many, many years there came a king's son into that land: and an
old man told him the story of the thicket of thorns; and how a
beautiful palace stood behind it, and how a wonderful princess, called
Briar Rose, lay in it asleep, with all her court. He told, too, how he
had heard from his grandfather that many, many princes had come, and
had tried to break through the thicket, but that they had all stuck
fast in it, and died. Then the young prince said, 'All this shall not
frighten me; I will go and see this Briar Rose.' The old man tried to
hinder him, but he was bent upon going.
Now that very day the hundred years were ended; and as the prince came
to the thicket he saw nothing but beautiful flowering shrubs, through
which he went with ease, and they shut in after him as thick as ever.
Then he came at last to the palace, and there in the court lay the
dogs asleep; and the horses were standing in the stables; and on
the roof sat the pigeons fast asleep, with their heads under their
wings. And when he came into the palace, the flies were sleeping on
the walls; the spit was standing still; the butler had the jug of ale
at his lips, going to drink a draught; the maid sat with a fowl in her
lap ready to be plucked; and the cook in the kitchen was still holding
up her hand, as if she was going to beat the boy.
Then he went on still farther, and all was so still that he could
hear every breath he drew; till at last he came to the old tower, and
opened the door of the little room in which Briar Rose was; and there
she lay, fast asleep on a couch by the window. She looked so
beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her, so he stooped down
and gave her a kiss. But the moment he kissed her she opened her eyes
and awoke, and smiled upon him; and they went out together; and soon
the king and queen also awoke, and all the court, and gazed on each
other with great wonder. And the horses shook themselves, and the
dogs jumped up and barked; the pigeons took their heads from under
their wings, and looked about and flew into the fields; the flies on
the walls buzzed again; the fire in the kitchen blazed up; round went
the jack, and round went the spit, with the goose for the king's
dinner upon it; the butler finished his draught of ale; the maid went
on plucking the fowl; and the cook gave the boy the box on his ear.
And then the prince and Briar Rose were married, and the wedding feast
was given; and they lived happily together all their lives long.
The Dog And The Sparrow
A shepherd's dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let
him suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; so
he took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood.
On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, 'Why are you so
sad, my friend?' 'Because,' said the dog, 'I am very very hungry, and
have nothing to eat.' 'If that be all,' answered the sparrow, 'come with
me into the next town, and I will soon find you plenty of food.' So
on they went together into the town: and as they passed by a butcher's
shop, the sparrow said to the dog, 'Stand there a little while till I
peck you down a piece of meat.' So the sparrow perched upon the shelf:
and having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was
watching her, she pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the edge
of the shelf, till at last down it fell. Then the dog snapped it up, and
scrambled away with it into a corner, where he soon ate it all up.
'Well,' said the sparrow, 'you shall have some more if you will; so
come with me to the next shop, and I will peck you down another
steak.' When the dog had eaten this too, the sparrow said to him,
'Well, my good friend, have you had enough now?' 'I have had plenty
of meat,' answered he, 'but I should like to have a piece of bread to
eat after it.' 'Come with me then,' said the sparrow, 'and you shall
soon have that too.' So she took him to a baker's shop, and pecked at
two rolls that lay in the window, till they fell down: and as the dog
still wished for more, she took him to another shop and pecked down
some more for him. When that was eaten, the sparrow asked him whether
he had had enough now. 'Yes,' said he; 'and now let us take a walk a
little way out of the town.' So they both went out upon the high road;
but as the weather was warm, they had not gone far before the dog
said, 'I am very much tired--I should like to take a nap.' 'Very well,'
answered the sparrow, 'do so, and in the meantime I will perch upon that
bush.' So the dog stretched himself out on the road, and fell fast
asleep. Whilst he slept, there came by a carter with a cart drawn by
three horses, and loaded with two casks of wine. The sparrow, seeing
that the carter did not turn out of the way, but would go on in the
track in which the dog lay, so as to drive over him, called out, 'Stop!
stop! Mr Carter, or it shall be the worse for you.' But the carter,
grumbling to himself, 'You make it the worse for me, indeed! what can
you do?' cracked his whip, and drove his cart over the poor dog, so
that the wheels crushed him to death. 'There,' cried the sparrow,
'thou cruel villain, thou hast killed my friend the dog. Now mind
what I say. This deed of thine shall cost thee all thou art worth.'
'Do your worst, and welcome,' said the brute, 'what harm can you do
me?' and passed on. But the sparrow crept under the tilt of the cart,
and pecked at the bung of one of the casks till she loosened it; and
than all the wine ran out, without the carter seeing it. At last he
looked round, and saw that the cart was dripping, and the cask quite
empty. 'What an unlucky wretch I am!' cried he. 'Not wretch enough
yet!' said the sparrow, as she alighted upon the head of one of the
horses, and pecked at him till he reared up and kicked. When the
carter saw this, he drew out his hatchet and aimed a blow at the
sparrow, meaning to kill her; but she flew away, and the blow fell upon
the poor horse's head with such force, that he fell down dead.
'Unlucky wretch that I am!' cried he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said
the sparrow. And as the carter went on with the other two horses, she
again crept under the tilt of the cart, and pecked out the bung of the
second cask, so that all the wine ran out. When the carter saw this,
he again cried out, 'Miserable wretch that I am!' But the sparrow
answered, 'Not wretch enough yet!' and perched on the head of the
second horse, and pecked at him too. The carter ran up and struck at
her again with his hatchet; but away she flew, and the blow fell
upon the second horse and killed him on the spot. 'Unlucky wretch that
I am!' said he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said the sparrow; and
perching upon the third horse, she began to peck him too. The carter
was mad with fury; and without looking about him, or caring what he was
about, struck again at the sparrow; but killed his third horse as he
done the other two. 'Alas! miserable wretch that I am!' cried he. 'Not
wretch enough yet!' answered the sparrow as she flew away; 'now will I
plague and punish thee at thy own house.' The carter was forced at
last to leave his cart behind him, and to go home overflowing with
rage and vexation. 'Alas!' said he to his wife, 'what ill luck has
befallen me!--my wine is all spilt, and my horses all three dead.'
'Alas! husband,' replied she, 'and a wicked bird has come into the
house, and has brought with her all the birds in the world, I am sure,
and they have fallen upon our corn in the loft, and are eating it
up at such a rate!' Away ran the husband upstairs, and saw thousands
of birds sitting upon the floor eating up his corn, with the sparrow in
the midst of them. 'Unlucky wretch that I am!' cried the carter; for he
saw that the corn was almost all gone. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said
the sparrow; 'thy cruelty shall cost thee they life yet!' and away she
flew.
The carter seeing that he had thus lost all that he had, went down
into his kitchen; and was still not sorry for what he had done, but sat
himself angrily and sulkily in the chimney corner. But the sparrow
sat on the outside of the window, and cried 'Carter! thy cruelty shall
cost thee thy life!' With that he jumped up in a rage, seized his
hatchet, and threw it at the sparrow; but it missed her, and only broke
the window. The sparrow now hopped in, perched upon the window-seat,
and cried, 'Carter! it shall cost thee thy life!' Then he became mad
and blind with rage, and struck the window-seat with such force that
he cleft it in two: and as the sparrow flew from place to place, the
carter and his wife were so furious, that they broke all their
furniture, glasses, chairs, benches, the table, and at last the walls,
without touching the bird at all. In the end, however, they caught
her: and the wife said, 'Shall I kill her at once?' 'No,' cried he,
'that is letting her off too easily: she shall die a much more cruel
death; I will eat her.' But the sparrow began to flutter about, and
stretch out her neck and cried, 'Carter! it shall cost thee thy life
yet!' With that he could wait no longer: so he gave his wife the
hatchet, and cried, 'Wife, strike at the bird and kill her in my
hand.' And the wife struck; but she missed her aim, and hit her
husband on the head so that he fell down dead, and the sparrow flew
quietly home to her nest.
The Twelve Dancing Princesses
There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in
twelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors were
shut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to be
quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yet
nobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been.
Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any person
could discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princesses
danced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for his
wife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and did
not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death.
A king's son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening
was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in
their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to
dance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it,
the door of his chamber was left open. But the king's son soon fell
asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses
had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes.
The same thing happened the second and third night: so the king
ordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; but
they had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same
manner.
Now it chanced that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle
and could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king
reigned: and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman,
who asked him where he was going. 'I hardly know where I am going,
or what I had better do,' said the soldier; 'but I think I should like
very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then
in time I might be a king.' 'Well,' said the old dame, 'that is no
very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one
of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she
leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.'
Then she gave him a cloak, and said, 'As soon as you put that on you
will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the
princesses wherever they go.' When the soldier heard all this good
counsel, he determined to try his luck: so he went to the king,
and said he was willing to undertake the task.
He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered
fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led
to the outer chamber. Just as he was going to lie down, the
eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier
threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he
laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very
loud as if he was fast asleep. When the twelve princesses heard this
they laughed heartily; and the eldest said, 'This fellow too might have
done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way!' Then they rose
up and opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine
clothes, and dressed themselves at the glass, and skipped about as if
they were eager to begin dancing. But the youngest said, 'I don't know
how it is, while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some
mischance will befall us.' 'You simpleton,' said the eldest, 'you are
always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings' sons have already
watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him
his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.'
When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but
he snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were
quite safe; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands,
and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open. The soldier
saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, the eldest
leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put
on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and followed them; but
in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest
princess, and she cried out to her sisters, 'All is not right; someone
took hold of my gown.' 'You silly creature!' said the eldest, 'it is
nothing but a nail in the wall.' Then down they all went, and at the
bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and
the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled
beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of the place;
so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud noise from the
tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, 'I am sure all is not
right--did not you hear that noise? That never happened before.' But the
eldest said, 'It is only our princes, who are shouting for joy at our
approach.'
Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were
of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all
glittering diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and
every time there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister
tremble with fear; but the eldest still said, it was only the princes,
who were crying for joy. So they went on till they came to a great
lake; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with
twelve handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the
princesses.
One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped
into the same boat with the youngest. As they were rowing over the
lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and
the soldier said, 'I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing
with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite
tired: the boat seems very heavy today.' 'It is only the heat of
the weather,' said the princess: 'I feel it very warm too.'
On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle, from
which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all
landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his
princess; and the soldier, who was all the time invisible, danced
with them too; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by
her, he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it
was empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened,
but the eldest always silenced her. They danced on till three o'clock
in the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they
were obliged to leave off. The princes rowed them back again over the
lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the
eldest princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each
other, the princesses promising to come again the next night.
When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the
princesses, and laid himself down; and as the twelve sisters slowly came
up very much tired, they heard him snoring in his bed; so they said,
'Now all is quite safe'; then they undressed themselves, put away their
fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed. In the morning
the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but determined to
see more of this strange adventure, and went again the second and
third night; and every thing happened just as before; the princesses
danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces, and then
returned home. However, on the third night the soldier carried away one
of the golden cups as a token of where he had been.
As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was
taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and
the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he
would say. And when the king asked him. 'Where do my twelve daughters
dance at night?' he answered, 'With twelve princes in a castle under
ground.' And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed him
the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him.
Then the king called for the princesses, and asked them whether what
the soldier said was true: and when they saw that they were
discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they
confessed it all. And the king asked the soldier which of them he
would choose for his wife; and he answered, 'I am not very young, so
I will have the eldest.'--And they were married that very day, and
the soldier was chosen to be the king's heir.
The Fisherman And His Wife
There was once a fisherman who lived with his wife in a pigsty, close
by the seaside. The fisherman used to go out all day long a-fishing; and
one day, as he sat on the shore with his rod, looking at the sparkling
waves and watching his line, all on a sudden his float was dragged
away deep into the water: and in drawing it up he pulled out a great
fish. But the fish said, 'Pray let me live! I am not a real fish; I
am an enchanted prince: put me in the water again, and let me go!' 'Oh,
ho!' said the man, 'you need not make so many words about the matter; I
will have nothing to do with a fish that can talk: so swim away, sir,
as soon as you please!' Then he put him back into the water, and the
fish darted straight down to the bottom, and left a long streak of
blood behind him on the wave.
When the fisherman went home to his wife in the pigsty, he told her how
he had caught a great fish, and how it had told him it was an
enchanted prince, and how, on hearing it speak, he had let it go again.
'Did not you ask it for anything?' said the wife, 'we live very
wretchedly here, in this nasty dirty pigsty; do go back and tell the
fish we want a snug little cottage.'
The fisherman did not much like the business: however, he went to
the seashore; and when he came back there the water looked all
yellow and green. And he stood at the water's edge, and said:
'O man of the sea!
Hearken to me!
My wife Ilsabill
Will have her own will,
And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'
Then the fish came swimming to him, and said, 'Well, what is her
will? What does your wife want?' 'Ah!' said the fisherman, 'she says
that when I had caught you, I ought to have asked you for something
before I let you go; she does not like living any longer in the
pigsty, and wants a snug little cottage.' 'Go home, then,' said the
fish; 'she is in the cottage already!' So the man went home, and saw
his wife standing at the door of a nice trim little cottage. 'Come in,
come in!' said she; 'is not this much better than the filthy pigsty we
had?' And there was a parlour, and a bedchamber, and a kitchen; and
behind the cottage there was a little garden, planted with all
sorts of flowers and fruits; and there was a courtyard behind, full
of ducks and chickens. 'Ah!' said the fisherman, 'how happily we
shall live now!' 'We will try to do so, at least,' said his wife.
Everything went right for a week or two, and then Dame Ilsabill
said, 'Husband, there is not near room enough for us in this
cottage; the courtyard and the garden are a great deal too small; I
should like to have a large stone castle to live in: go to the fish
again and tell him to give us a castle.' 'Wife,' said the fisherman,
'I don't like to go to him again, for perhaps he will be angry; we
ought to be easy with this pretty cottage to live in.' 'Nonsense!'
said the wife; 'he will do it very willingly, I know; go along and
try!'
The fisherman went, but his heart was very heavy: and when he came to
the sea, it looked blue and gloomy, though it was very calm; and he went
close to the edge of the waves, and said:
'O man of the sea!
Hearken to me!
My wife Ilsabill
Will have her own will,
And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'
'Well, what does she want now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the
man, dolefully, 'my wife wants to live in a stone castle.' 'Go home,
then,' said the fish; 'she is standing at the gate of it already.' So
away went the fisherman, and found his wife standing before the gate
of a great castle. 'See,' said she, 'is not this grand?' With that they
went into the castle together, and found a great many servants there,
and the rooms all richly furnished, and full of golden chairs and
tables; and behind the castle was a garden, and around it was a park
half a mile long, full of sheep, and goats, and hares, and deer; and
in the courtyard were stables and cow-houses. 'Well,' said the man,
'now we will live cheerful and happy in this beautiful castle for the
rest of our lives.' 'Perhaps we may,' said the wife; 'but let us sleep
upon it, before we make up our minds to that.' So they went to bed.
The next morning when Dame Ilsabill awoke it was broad daylight, and
she jogged the fisherman with her elbow, and said, 'Get up,
husband, and bestir yourself, for we must be king of all the land.'
'Wife, wife,' said the man, 'why should we wish to be the king? I will
not be king.' 'Then I will,' said she. 'But, wife,' said the fisherman,
'how can you be king--the fish cannot make you a king?' 'Husband,' said
she, 'say no more about it, but go and try! I will be king.' So the
man went away quite sorrowful to think that his wife should want to
be king. This time the sea looked a dark grey colour, and was
overspread with curling waves and the ridges of foam as he cried out:
'O man of the sea!
Hearken to me!
My wife Ilsabill
Will have her own will,
And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'
'Well, what would she have now?' said the fish. 'Alas!' said the poor
man, 'my wife wants to be king.' 'Go home,' said the fish; 'she
is king already.'
Then the fisherman went home; and as he came close to the palace he saw
a troop of soldiers, and heard the sound of drums and trumpets. And when
he went in he saw his wife sitting on a throne of gold and diamonds,
with a golden crown upon her head; and on each side of her stood
six fair maidens, each a head taller than the other. 'Well,
wife,' said the fisherman, 'are you king?' 'Yes,' said she, 'I am
king.' And when he had looked at her for a long time, he said, 'Ah,
wife! what a fine thing it is to be king! Now we shall never have
anything more to wish for as long as we live.' 'I don't know how that
may be,' said she; 'never is a long time. I am king, it is true; but I
begin to be tired of that, and I think I should like to be
emperor.' 'Alas, wife! why should you wish to be emperor?' said
the fisherman. 'Husband,' said she, 'go to the fish! I say I will be
emperor.' 'Ah, wife!' replied the fisherman, 'the fish cannot make an
emperor, I am sure, and I should not like to ask him for such a
thing.' 'I am king,' said Ilsabill, 'and you are my slave; so go at
once!'
So the fisherman was forced to go; and he muttered as he went along,
'This will come to no good, it is too much to ask; the fish will be
tired at last, and then we shall be sorry for what we have done.' He
soon came to the seashore; and the water was quite black and
muddy, and a mighty whirlwind blew over the waves and rolled them
about, but he went as near as he could to the water's brink, and said:
'O man of the sea!
Hearken to me!
My wife Ilsabill
Will have her own will,
And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'
'What would she have now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the fisherman,
'she wants to be emperor.' 'Go home,' said the fish; 'she is emperor
already.'
So he went home again; and as he came near he saw his wife
Ilsabill sitting on a very lofty throne made of solid gold, with a
great crown on her head full two yards high; and on each side of her
stood her guards and attendants in a row, each one smaller than the
other, from the tallest giant down to a little dwarf no bigger than
my finger. And before her stood princes, and dukes, and earls: and the
fisherman went up to her and said, 'Wife, are you emperor?' 'Yes,' said
she, 'I am emperor.' 'Ah!' said the man, as he gazed upon her, 'what a
fine thing it is to be emperor!' 'Husband,' said she, 'why should we
stop at being emperor? I will be pope next.' 'O wife, wife!' said he,
'how can you be pope? there is but one pope at a time in
Christendom.' 'Husband,' said she, 'I will be pope this very day.'
'But,' replied the husband, 'the fish cannot make you pope.' 'What
nonsense!' said she; 'if he can make an emperor, he can make a pope: go
and try him.'
So the fisherman went. But when he came to the shore the wind was
raging and the sea was tossed up and down in boiling waves, and the
ships were in trouble, and rolled fearfully upon the tops of the
billows. In the middle of the heavens there was a little piece of blue
sky, but towards the south all was red, as if a dreadful storm was
rising. At this sight the fisherman was dreadfully frightened, and
he trembled so that his knees knocked together: but still he went down
near to the shore, and said:
'O man of the sea!
Hearken to me!
My wife Ilsabill
Will have her own will,
And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'
'What does she want now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the fisherman,
'my wife wants to be pope.' 'Go home,' said the fish; 'she is pope
already.'
Then the fisherman went home, and found Ilsabill sitting on a throne
that was two miles high. And she had three great crowns on her head, and
around her stood all the pomp and power of the Church. And on each
side of her were two rows of burning lights, of all sizes, the
greatest as large as the highest and biggest tower in the world, and
the least no larger than a small rushlight. 'Wife,' said the
fisherman, as he looked at all this greatness, 'are you pope?'
'Yes,' said she, 'I am pope.' 'Well, wife,' replied he, 'it is a
grand thing to be pope; and now you must be easy, for you can be
nothing greater.' 'I will think about that,' said the wife. Then they
went to bed: but Dame Ilsabill could not sleep all night for
thinking what she should be next. At last, as she was dropping
asleep, morning broke, and the sun rose. 'Ha!' thought she, as she
woke up and looked at it through the window, 'after all I cannot
prevent the sun rising.' At this thought she was very angry, and
wakened her husband, and said, 'Husband, go to the fish and tell him I
must be lord of the sun and moon.' The fisherman was half asleep, but
the thought frightened him so much that he started and fell out of
bed. 'Alas, wife!' said he, 'cannot you be easy with being pope?' 'No,'
said she, 'I am very uneasy as long as the sun and moon rise without my
leave. Go to the fish at once!'
Then the man went shivering with fear; and as he was going down to
the shore a dreadful storm arose, so that the trees and the very rocks
shook. And all the heavens became black with stormy clouds, and the
lightnings played, and the thunders rolled; and you might have seen in
the sea great black waves, swelling up like mountains with crowns of
white foam upon their heads. And the fisherman crept towards the sea,
and cried out, as well as he could:
'O man of the sea!
Hearken to me!
My wife Ilsabill
Will have her own will,
And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!'
'What does she want now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said he, 'she wants to
be lord of the sun and moon.' 'Go home,' said the fish, 'to your
pigsty again.'
And there they live to this very day.
The Willow-Wren And The Bear
Once in summer-time the bear and the wolf were walking in the forest,
and the bear heard a bird singing so beautifully that he said: 'Brother
wolf, what bird is it that sings so well?' 'That is the King of birds,'
said the wolf, 'before whom we must bow down.' In reality the
bird was the willow-wren. 'If that's the case,' said the bear, 'I
should very much like to see his royal palace; come, take me thither.'
'That is not done quite as you seem to think,' said the wolf; 'you
must wait until the Queen comes,' Soon afterwards, the Queen arrived
with some food in her beak, and the lord King came too, and they began
to feed their young ones. The bear would have liked to go at once, but
the wolf held him back by the sleeve, and said: 'No, you must wait
until the lord and lady Queen have gone away again.' So they took
stock of the hole where the nest lay, and trotted away. The bear,
however, could not rest until he had seen the royal palace, and
when a short time had passed, went to it again. The King and Queen had
just flown out, so he peeped in and saw five or six young ones lying
there. 'Is that the royal palace?' cried the bear; 'it is a wretched
palace, and you are not King's children, you are disreputable
children!' When the young wrens heard that, they were frightfully
angry, and screamed: 'No, that we are not! Our parents are honest
people! Bear, you will have to pay for that!'
The bear and the wolf grew uneasy, and turned back and went into
their holes. The young willow-wrens, however, continued to cry and
scream, and when their parents again brought food they said: 'We will
not so much as touch one fly's leg, no, not if we were dying of
hunger, until you have settled whether we are respectable children or
not; the bear has been here and has insulted us!' Then the old King
said: 'Be easy, he shall be punished,' and he at once flew with the
Queen to the bear's cave, and called in: 'Old Growler, why have you
insulted my children? You shall suffer for it--we will punish you by a
bloody war.' Thus war was announced to the Bear, and all four-footed
animals were summoned to take part in it, oxen, asses, cows, deer, and
every other animal the earth contained. And the willow-wren summoned
everything which flew in the air, not only birds, large and small, but
midges, and hornets, bees and flies had to come.
When the time came for the war to begin, the willow-wren sent out spies
to discover who was the enemy's commander-in-chief. The gnat, who was
the most crafty, flew into the forest where the enemy was assembled,
and hid herself beneath a leaf of the tree where the password was to be
announced. There stood the bear, and he called the fox before him and
said: 'Fox, you are the most cunning of all animals, you shall be
general and lead us.' 'Good,' said the fox, 'but what signal shall we
agree upon?' No one knew that, so the fox said: 'I have a fine long
bushy tail, which almost looks like a plume of red feathers. When I
lift my tail up quite high, all is going well, and you must charge;
but if I let it hang down, run away as fast as you can.' When the gnat
had heard that, she flew away again, and revealed everything, down to
the minutest detail, to the willow-wren. When day broke, and the battle
was to begin, all the four-footed animals came running up with such a
noise that the earth trembled. The willow-wren with his army also came
flying through the air with such a humming, and whirring, and
swarming that every one was uneasy and afraid, and on both sides they
advanced against each other. But the willow-wren sent down the hornet,
with orders to settle beneath the fox's tail, and sting with all his
might. When the fox felt the first string, he started so that he
lifted one leg, from pain, but he bore it, and still kept his tail high
in the air; at the second sting, he was forced to put it down for a
moment; at the third, he could hold out no longer, screamed, and put
his tail between his legs. When the animals saw that, they thought
all was lost, and began to flee, each into his hole, and the birds had
won the battle.
Then the King and Queen flew home to their children and cried:
'Children, rejoice, eat and drink to your heart's content, we have won
the battle!' But the young wrens said: 'We will not eat yet, the bear
must come to the nest, and beg for pardon and say that we are
honourable children, before we will do that.' Then the willow-wren flew
to the bear's hole and cried: 'Growler, you are to come to the nest
to my children, and beg their pardon, or else every rib of your body
shall be broken.' So the bear crept thither in the greatest fear, and
begged their pardon. And now at last the young wrens were satisfied, and
sat down together and ate and drank, and made merry till quite late
into the night.
The Frog-Prince
One fine evening a young princess put on her bonnet and clogs, and
went out to take a walk by herself in a wood; and when she came to
a cool spring of water, that rose in the midst of it, she sat
herself down to rest a while. Now she had a golden ball in her
hand, which was her favourite plaything; and she was always tossing
it up into the air, and catching it again as it fell. After a time
she threw it up so high that she missed catching it as it fell; and
the ball bounded away, and rolled along upon the ground, till at last
it fell down into the spring. The princess looked into the spring
after her ball, but it was very deep, so deep that she could not see
the bottom of it. Then she began to bewail her loss, and said, 'Alas! if
I could only get my ball again, I would give all my fine clothes and
jewels, and everything that I have in the world.'
Whilst she was speaking, a frog put its head out of the water, and
said, 'Princess, why do you weep so bitterly?' 'Alas!' said she, 'what
can you do for me, you nasty frog? My golden ball has fallen into the
spring.' The frog said, 'I want not your pearls, and jewels, and fine
clothes; but if you will love me, and let me live with you and eat
from off your golden plate, and sleep upon your bed, I will bring you
your ball again.' 'What nonsense,' thought the princess, 'this silly
frog is talking! He can never even get out of the spring to visit me,
though he may be able to get my ball for me, and therefore I will tell
him he shall have what he asks.' So she said to the frog, 'Well, if you
will bring me my ball, I will do all you ask.' Then the frog put his
head down, and dived deep under the water; and after a little while he
came up again, with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the edge of
the spring. As soon as the young princess saw her ball, she ran to pick
it up; and she was so overjoyed to have it in her hand again, that
she never thought of the frog, but ran home with it as fast as she
could. The frog called after her, 'Stay, princess, and take me with you
as you said,' But she did not stop to hear a word.
The next day, just as the princess had sat down to dinner, she heard
a strange noise--tap, tap--plash, plash--as if something was coming
up the marble staircase: and soon afterwards there was a gentle
knock at the door, and a little voice cried out and said:
'Open the door, my princess dear,
Open the door to thy true love here!
And mind the words that thou and I said
By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.'
Then the princess ran to the door and opened it, and there she saw
the frog, whom she had quite forgotten. At this sight she was
sadly frightened, and shutting the door as fast as she could came back
to her seat. The king, her father, seeing that something had
frightened her, asked her what was the matter. 'There is a nasty frog,'
said she, 'at the door, that lifted my ball for me out of the spring
this morning: I told him that he should live with me here, thinking
that he could never get out of the spring; but there he is at the door,
and he wants to come in.'
While she was speaking the frog knocked again at the door, and said:
'Open the door, my princess dear,
Open the door to thy true love here!
And mind the words that thou and I said
By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.'
Then the king said to the young princess, 'As you have given your word
you must keep it; so go and let him in.' She did so, and the frog hopped
into the room, and then straight on--tap, tap--plash, plash--from the
bottom of the room to the top, till he came up close to the table where
the princess sat. 'Pray lift me upon chair,' said he to the princess,
'and let me sit next to you.' As soon as she had done this, the frog
said, 'Put your plate nearer to me, that I may eat out of it.' This
she did, and when he had eaten as much as he could, he said, 'Now I
am tired; carry me upstairs, and put me into your bed.' And the
princess, though very unwilling, took him up in her hand, and put him
upon the pillow of her own bed, where he slept all night long. As
soon as it was light he jumped up, hopped downstairs, and went out
of the house. 'Now, then,' thought the princess, 'at last he is gone,
and I shall be troubled with him no more.'
But she was mistaken; for when night came again she heard the same
tapping at the door; and the frog came once more, and said:
'Open the door, my princess dear,
Open the door to thy true love here!
And mind the words that thou and I said
By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.'
And when the princess opened the door the frog came in, and slept upon
her pillow as before, till the morning broke. And the third night he
did the same. But when the princess awoke on the following
morning she was astonished to see, instead of the frog, a handsome
prince, gazing on her with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen,
and standing at the head of her bed.
He told her that he had been enchanted by a spiteful fairy, who
had changed him into a frog; and that he had been fated so to abide till
some princess should take him out of the spring, and let him eat
from her plate, and sleep upon her bed for three nights. 'You,' said
the prince, 'have broken his cruel charm, and now I have nothing to
wish for but that you should go with me into my father's kingdom,
where I will marry you, and love you as long as you live.'
The young princess, you may be sure, was not long in saying 'Yes' to
all this; and as they spoke a gay coach drove up, with eight beautiful
horses, decked with plumes of feathers and a golden harness; and behind
the coach rode the prince's servant, faithful Heinrich, who had
bewailed the misfortunes of his dear master during his enchantment
so long and so bitterly, that his heart had well-nigh burst.
They then took leave of the king, and got into the coach with
eight horses, and all set out, full of joy and merriment, for the
prince's kingdom, which they reached safely; and there they lived
happily a great many years.
Cat And Mouse In Partnership
A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so
much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her,
that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house
together. 'But we must make a provision for winter, or else we shall
suffer from hunger,' said the cat; 'and you, little mouse, cannot
venture everywhere, or you will be caught in a trap some day.' The
good advice was followed, and a pot of fat was bought, but they did
not know where to put it. At length, after much consideration, the cat
said: 'I know no place where it will be better stored up than in
the church, for no one dares take anything away from there. We will
set it beneath the altar, and not touch it until we are really in need
of it.' So the pot was placed in safety, but it was not long before
the cat had a great yearning for it, and said to the mouse: 'I want to
tell you something, little mouse; my cousin has brought a little son
into the world, and has asked me to be godmother; he is white with
brown spots, and I am to hold him over the font at the christening.
Let me go out today, and you look after the house by yourself.'
'Yes, yes,' answered the mouse, 'by all means go, and if you get
anything very good to eat, think of me. I should like a drop of sweet
red christening wine myself.' All this, however, was untrue; the cat
had no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went
straight to the church, stole to the pot of fat, began to lick at it,
and licked the top of the fat off. Then she took a walk upon the
roofs of the town, looked out for opportunities, and then stretched
herself in the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of the
pot of fat, and not until it was evening did she return home. 'Well,
here you are again,' said the mouse, 'no doubt you have had a merry
day.' 'All went off well,' answered the cat. 'What name did they give
the child?' 'Top off!' said the cat quite coolly. 'Top off!' cried
the mouse, 'that is a very odd and uncommon name, is it a usual one in
your family?' 'What does that matter,' said the cat, 'it is no worse
than Crumb-stealer, as your godchildren are called.'
Before long the cat was seized by another fit of yearning. She said to
the mouse: 'You must do me a favour, and once more manage the house for
a day alone. I am again asked to be godmother, and, as the child has
a white ring round its neck, I cannot refuse.' The good mouse
consented, but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church, and
devoured half the pot of fat. 'Nothing ever seems so good as what one
keeps to oneself,' said she, and was quite satisfied with her day's
work. When she went home the mouse inquired: 'And what was the child
christened?' 'Half-done,' answered the cat. 'Half-done! What are you
saying? I never heard the name in my life, I'll wager anything it is
not in the calendar!'
The cat's mouth soon began to water for some more licking. 'All
good things go in threes,' said she, 'I am asked to stand godmother
again. The child is quite black, only it has white paws, but with that
exception, it has not a single white hair on its whole body; this
only happens once every few years, you will let me go, won't you?'
'Top-off! Half-done!' answered the mouse, 'they are such odd
names, they make me very thoughtful.' 'You sit at home,' said the
cat, 'in your dark-grey fur coat and long tail, and are filled with
fancies, that's because you do not go out in the daytime.' During the
cat's absence the mouse cleaned the house, and put it in order, but the
greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat. 'When everything is eaten
up one has some peace,' said she to herself, and well filled and fat she
did not return home till night. The mouse at once asked what name had
been given to the third child. 'It will not please you more than the
others,' said the cat. 'He is called All-gone.' 'All-gone,' cried the
mouse 'that is the most suspicious name of all! I have never seen it
in print. All-gone; what can that mean?' and she shook her head,
curled herself up, and lay down to sleep.
From this time forth no one invited the cat to be godmother, but when
the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found
outside, the mouse thought of their provision, and said: 'Come, cat, we
will go to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves--we
shall enjoy that.' 'Yes,' answered the cat, 'you will enjoy it as
much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of
the window.' They set out on their way, but when they arrived, the pot
of fat certainly was still in its place, but it was empty. 'Alas!'
said the mouse, 'now I see what has happened, now it comes to light!
You a true friend! You have devoured all when you were standing
godmother. First top off, then half-done, then--' 'Will you hold your
tongue,' cried the cat, 'one word more, and I will eat you too.'
'All-gone' was already on the poor mouse's lips; scarcely had she
spoken it before the cat sprang on her, seized her, and swallowed her
down. Verily, that is the way of the world.
The Goose-Girl
The king of a great land died, and left his queen to take care of
their only child. This child was a daughter, who was very beautiful;
and her mother loved her dearly, and was very kind to her. And there
was a good fairy too, who was fond of the princess, and helped her
mother to watch over her. When she grew up, she was betrothed to a
prince who lived a great way off; and as the time drew near for her
to be married, she got ready to set off on her journey to his country.
Then the queen her mother, packed up a great many costly things;
jewels, and gold, and silver; trinkets, fine dresses, and in short
everything that became a royal bride. And she gave her a waiting-maid
to ride with her, and give her into the bridegroom's hands; and each
had a horse for the journey. Now the princess's horse was the
fairy's gift, and it was called Falada, and could speak.
When the time came for them to set out, the fairy went into
her bed-chamber, and took a little knife, and cut off a lock of her
hair, and gave it to the princess, and said, 'Take care of it, dear
child; for it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road.'
Then they all took a sorrowful leave of the princess; and she put
the lock of hair into her bosom, got upon her horse, and set off on
her journey to her bridegroom's kingdom.
One day, as they were riding along by a brook, the princess began to
feel very thirsty: and she said to her maid, 'Pray get down, and fetch
me some water in my golden cup out of yonder brook, for I want to
drink.' 'Nay,' said the maid, 'if you are thirsty, get off yourself,
and stoop down by the water and drink; I shall not be your
waiting-maid any longer.' Then she was so thirsty that she got down,
and knelt over the little brook, and drank; for she was frightened, and
dared not bring out her golden cup; and she wept and said, 'Alas! what
will become of me?' And the lock answered her, and said:
'Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it,
Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.'
But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to
her maid's ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again.
Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and
the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again;
and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid's rude
speech, and said, 'Pray get down, and fetch me some water to drink in
my golden cup.' But the maid answered her, and even spoke more
haughtily than before: 'Drink if you will, but I shall not be your
waiting-maid.' Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her
horse, and lay down, and held her head over the running stream, and
cried and said, 'What will become of me?' And the lock of hair answered
her again:
'Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it,
Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.'
And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom,
and floated away with the water. Now she was so frightened that she
did not see it; but her maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew
the charm; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power, now
that she had lost the hair. So when the bride had done drinking, and
would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, 'I shall ride upon
Falada, and you may have my horse instead'; so she was forced to give
up her horse, and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and
put on her maid's shabby ones.
At last, as they drew near the end of their journey, this
treacherous servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told
anyone what had happened. But Falada saw it all, and marked it well.
Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride rode upon
the other horse, and they went on in this way till at last they came
to the royal court. There was great joy at their coming, and the
prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse,
thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led
upstairs to the royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in
the court below.
Now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do; so
he amused himself by sitting at his kitchen window, looking at what was
going on; and he saw her in the courtyard. As she looked very pretty,
and too delicate for a waiting-maid, he went up into the royal chamber
to ask the bride who it was she had brought with her, that was thus
left standing in the court below. 'I brought her with me for the sake
of her company on the road,' said she; 'pray give the girl some work to
do, that she may not be idle.' The old king could not for some time
think of any work for her to do; but at last he said, 'I have a lad who
takes care of my geese; she may go and help him.' Now the name of this
lad, that the real bride was to help in watching the king's geese, was
Curdken.
But the false bride said to the prince, 'Dear husband, pray do me
one piece of kindness.' 'That I will,' said the prince. 'Then tell one
of your slaughterers to cut off the head of the horse I rode upon, for
it was very unruly, and plagued me sadly on the road'; but the truth
was, she was very much afraid lest Falada should some day or other
speak, and tell all she had done to the princess. She carried her
point, and the faithful Falada was killed; but when the true princess
heard of it, she wept, and begged the man to nail up Falada's head
against a large dark gate of the city, through which she had to pass
every morning and evening, that there she might still see him
sometimes. Then the slaughterer said he would do as she wished; and
cut off the head, and nailed it up under the dark gate.
Early the next morning, as she and Curdken went out through the gate,
she said sorrowfully:
'Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!'
and the head answered:
'Bride, bride, there thou gangest!
Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it,
Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.'
Then they went out of the city, and drove the geese on. And when she
came to the meadow, she sat down upon a bank there, and let down her
waving locks of hair, which were all of pure silver; and when
Curdken saw it glitter in the sun, he ran up, and would have pulled
some of the locks out, but she cried:
'Blow, breezes, blow!
Let Curdken's hat go!
Blow, breezes, blow!
Let him after it go!
O'er hills, dales, and rocks,
Away be it whirl'd
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb'd and curl'd!'
Then there came a wind, so strong that it blew off Curdken's hat; and
away it flew over the hills: and he was forced to turn and run after it;
till, by the time he came back, she had done combing and curling her
hair, and had put it up again safe. Then he was very angry and sulky,
and would not speak to her at all; but they watched the geese until it
grew dark in the evening, and then drove them homewards.
The next morning, as they were going through the dark gate, the poor
girl looked up at Falada's head, and cried:
'Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!'
and the head answered:
'Bride, bride, there thou gangest!
Alas! alas! if they mother knew it,
Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.'
Then she drove on the geese, and sat down again in the meadow, and
began to comb out her hair as before; and Curdken ran up to her, and
wanted to take hold of it; but she cried out quickly:
'Blow, breezes, blow!
Let Curdken's hat go!
Blow, breezes, blow!
Let him after it go!
O'er hills, dales, and rocks,
Away be it whirl'd
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb'd and curl'd!'
Then the wind came and blew away his hat; and off it flew a great
way, over the hills and far away, so that he had to run after it; and
when he came back she had bound up her hair again, and all was
safe. So they watched the geese till it grew dark.
In the evening, after they came home, Curdken went to the old king,
and said, 'I cannot have that strange girl to help me to keep the
geese any longer.' 'Why?' said the king. 'Because, instead of doing
any good, she does nothing but tease me all day long.' Then the king
made him tell him what had happened. And Curdken said, 'When we go in
the morning through the dark gate with our flock of geese, she cries
and talks with the head of a horse that hangs upon the wall, and says:
"Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!"
and the head answers:
"Bride, bride, there thou gangest!
Alas! alas! if they mother knew it,
Sadly, sadly, would she rue it."'
And Curdken went on telling the king what had happened upon the
meadow where the geese fed; how his hat was blown away; and how he was
forced to run after it, and to leave his flock of geese to themselves.
But the old king told the boy to go out again the next day: and when
morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gate, and heard how
she spoke to Falada, and how Falada answered. Then he went into the
field, and hid himself in a bush by the meadow's side; and he soon saw
with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese; and how, after a
little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun. And then
he heard her say:
'Blow, breezes, blow!
Let Curdken's hat go!
Blow, breezes, blow!
Let him after it go!
O'er hills, dales, and rocks,
Away be it whirl'd
Till the silvery locks
Are all comb'd and curl'd!'
And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken's hat, and
away went Curdken after it, while the girl went on combing and
curling her hair. All this the old king saw: so he went home without
being seen; and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he
called her aside, and asked her why she did so: but she burst into
tears, and said, 'That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose
my life.'
But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had
told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it
was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the
king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with
wonder, she was so beautiful. Then he called his son and told him that
he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid,
while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw
her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without
saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast to
be got ready for all his court. The bridegroom sat at the top, with
the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but
nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their eyes;
and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that
she had her brilliant dress on.
When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said
he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of
the princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the
true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would
behave thus. 'Nothing better,' said this false bride, 'than that she
should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and that two
white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from street to
street till she was dead.' 'Thou art she!' said the old king; 'and as
thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.' And the young
king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned over the
kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good fairy
came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life again.
The Adventures Of Chanticleer And Partlet
1. How They Went To The Mountains To Eat Nuts
'The nuts are quite ripe now,' said Chanticleer to his wife
Partlet, 'suppose we go together to the mountains, and eat as many
as we can, before the squirrel takes them all away.' 'With all my
heart,' said Partlet, 'let us go and make a holiday of it together.'
So they went to the mountains; and as it was a lovely day, they
stayed there till the evening. Now, whether it was that they had eaten
so many nuts that they could not walk, or whether they were lazy and
would not, I do not know: however, they took it into their heads that
it did not become them to go home on foot. So Chanticleer began to
build a little carriage of nutshells: and when it was finished,
Partlet jumped into it and sat down, and bid Chanticleer harness
himself to it and draw her home. 'That's a good joke!' said Chanticleer;
'no, that will never do; I had rather by half walk home; I'll sit on
the box and be coachman, if you like, but I'll not draw.' While this was
passing, a duck came quacking up and cried out, 'You thieving
vagabonds, what business have you in my grounds? I'll give it you well
for your insolence!' and upon that she fell upon Chanticleer most
lustily. But Chanticleer was no coward, and returned the duck's blows
with his sharp spurs so fiercely that she soon began to cry out for
mercy; which was only granted her upon condition that she would draw the
carriage home for them. This she agreed to do; and Chanticleer got
upon the box, and drove, crying, 'Now, duck, get on as fast as you
can.' And away they went at a pretty good pace.
After they had travelled along a little way, they met a needle and a
pin walking together along the road: and the needle cried out, 'Stop,
stop!' and said it was so dark that they could hardly find their way,
and such dirty walking they could not get on at all: he told them that
he and his friend, the pin, had been at a public-house a few miles
off, and had sat drinking till they had forgotten how late it was; he
begged therefore that the travellers would be so kind as to give them a
lift in their carriage. Chanticleer observing that they were but thin
fellows, and not likely to take up much room, told them they might
ride, but made them promise not to dirty the wheels of the carriage in
getting in, nor to tread on Partlet's toes.
Late at night they arrived at an inn; and as it was bad travelling in
the dark, and the duck seemed much tired, and waddled about a good deal
from one side to the other, they made up their minds to fix their
quarters there: but the landlord at first was unwilling, and said his
house was full, thinking they might not be very respectable company:
however, they spoke civilly to him, and gave him the egg which Partlet
had laid by the way, and said they would give him the duck, who was in
the habit of laying one every day: so at last he let them come in, and
they bespoke a handsome supper, and spent the evening very jollily.
Early in the morning, before it was quite light, and when nobody
was stirring in the inn, Chanticleer awakened his wife, and, fetching
the egg, they pecked a hole in it, ate it up, and threw the shells
into the fireplace: they then went to the pin and needle, who were fast
asleep, and seizing them by the heads, stuck one into the landlord's
easy chair and the other into his handkerchief; and, having done this,
they crept away as softly as possible. However, the duck, who slept in
the open air in the yard, heard them coming, and jumping into the brook
which ran close by the inn, soon swam out of their reach.
An hour or two afterwards the landlord got up, and took his
handkerchief to wipe his face, but the pin ran into him and pricked him:
then he walked into the kitchen to light his pipe at the fire, but when
he stirred it up the eggshells flew into his eyes, and almost blinded
him. 'Bless me!' said he, 'all the world seems to have a design against
my head this morning': and so saying, he threw himself sulkily into his
easy chair; but, oh dear! the needle ran into him; and this time the
pain was not in his head. He now flew into a very great passion, and,
suspecting the company who had come in the night before, he went to
look after them, but they were all off; so he swore that he never
again would take in such a troop of vagabonds, who ate a great deal,
paid no reckoning, and gave him nothing for his trouble but their apish
tricks.
2. How Chanticleer And Partlet Went To Visit Mr Korbes
Another day, Chanticleer and Partlet wished to ride out together;
so Chanticleer built a handsome carriage with four red wheels, and
harnessed six mice to it; and then he and Partlet got into the
carriage, and away they drove. Soon afterwards a cat met them, and
said, 'Where are you going?' And Chanticleer replied,
'All on our way
A visit to pay
To Mr Korbes, the fox, today.'
Then the cat said, 'Take me with you,' Chanticleer said, 'With all
my heart: get up behind, and be sure you do not fall off.'
'Take care of this handsome coach of mine,
Nor dirty my pretty red wheels so fine!
Now, mice, be ready,
And, wheels, run steady!
For we are going a visit to pay
To Mr Korbes, the fox, today.'
Soon after came up a millstone, an egg, a duck, and a pin; and
Chanticleer gave them all leave to get into the carriage and go with
them.
When they arrived at Mr Korbes's house, he was not at home; so the
mice drew the carriage into the coach-house, Chanticleer and Partlet
flew upon a beam, the cat sat down in the fireplace, the duck got into
the washing cistern, the pin stuck himself into the bed pillow, the
millstone laid himself over the house door, and the egg rolled himself
up in the towel.
When Mr Korbes came home, he went to the fireplace to make a fire; but
the cat threw all the ashes in his eyes: so he ran to the kitchen to
wash himself; but there the duck splashed all the water in his face;
and when he tried to wipe himself, the egg broke to pieces in the
towel all over his face and eyes. Then he was very angry, and went
without his supper to bed; but when he laid his head on the pillow, the
pin ran into his cheek: at this he became quite furious, and, jumping
up, would have run out of the house; but when he came to the door,
the millstone fell down on his head, and killed him on the spot.
3. How Partlet Died And Was Buried, And How Chanticleer Died Of Grief
Another day Chanticleer and Partlet agreed to go again to the mountains
to eat nuts; and it was settled that all the nuts which they found
should be shared equally between them. Now Partlet found a very large
nut; but she said nothing about it to Chanticleer, and kept it all to
herself: however, it was so big that she could not swallow it, and it
stuck in her throat. Then she was in a great fright, and cried out to
Chanticleer, 'Pray run as fast as you can, and fetch me some
water, or I shall be choked.' Chanticleer ran as fast as he could
to the river, and said, 'River, give me some water, for Partlet lies in
the mountain, and will be choked by a great nut.' The river said, 'Run
first to the bride, and ask her for a silken cord to draw up the
water.' Chanticleer ran to the bride, and said, 'Bride, you must give me
a silken cord, for then the river will give me water, and the water I
will carry to Partlet, who lies on the mountain, and will be choked by
a great nut.' But the bride said, 'Run first, and bring me my garland
that is hanging on a willow in the garden.' Then Chanticleer ran to
the garden, and took the garland from the bough where it hung, and
brought it to the bride; and then the bride gave him the silken
cord, and he took the silken cord to the river, and the river gave him
water, and he carried the water to Partlet; but in the meantime she
was choked by the great nut, and lay quite dead, and never moved any
more.
Then Chanticleer was very sorry, and cried bitterly; and all the
beasts came and wept with him over poor Partlet. And six mice built
a little hearse to carry her to her grave; and when it was ready
they harnessed themselves before it, and Chanticleer drove them. On the
way they met the fox. 'Where are you going, Chanticleer?' said he.
'To bury my Partlet,' said the other. 'May I go with you?' said the
fox. 'Yes; but you must get up behind, or my horses will not be able to
draw you.' Then the fox got up behind; and presently the wolf, the bear,
the goat, and all the beasts of the wood, came and climbed upon the
hearse.
So on they went till they came to a rapid stream. 'How shall we get
over?' said Chanticleer. Then said a straw, 'I will lay myself across,
and you may pass over upon me.' But as the mice were going over, the
straw slipped away and fell into the water, and the six mice all
fell in and were drowned. What was to be done? Then a large log of
wood came and said, 'I am big enough; I will lay myself across the
stream, and you shall pass over upon me.' So he laid himself down; but
they managed so clumsily, that the log of wood fell in and was carried
away by the stream. Then a stone, who saw what had happened, came
up and kindly offered to help poor Chanticleer by laying himself
across the stream; and this time he got safely to the other side
with the hearse, and managed to get Partlet out of it; but the fox and
the other mourners, who were sitting behind, were too heavy, and fell
back into the water and were all carried away by the stream and
drowned.
Thus Chanticleer was left alone with his dead Partlet; and having dug
a grave for her, he laid her in it, and made a little hillock over her.
Then he sat down by the grave, and wept and mourned, till at last he
died too; and so all were dead.
Rapunzel
There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a
child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her
desire. These people had a little window at the back of their
house from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full
of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded
by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to
an enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world.
One day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the
garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful
rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for
it, she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable. Then
her husband was alarmed, and asked: 'What ails you, dear wife?' 'Ah,'
she replied, 'if I can't eat some of the rampion, which is in the
garden behind our house, I shall die.' The man, who loved her, thought:
'Sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion
yourself, let it cost what it will.' At twilight, he clambered down
over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a
handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself
a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her--so very
good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as
before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend
into the garden. In the gloom of evening therefore, he let himself down
again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly
afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. 'How can you
dare,' said she with angry look, 'descend into my garden and steal my
rampion like a thief? You shall suffer for it!' 'Ah,' answered he, 'let
mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it out of
necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt such a
longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to
eat.' Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and said to
him: 'If the case be as you say, I will allow you to take away with
you as much rampion as you will, only I make one condition, you
must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world; it
shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.' The man
in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was
brought to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the
name of Rapunzel, and took it away with her.
Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun. When she
was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay
in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was
a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed
herself beneath it and cried:
'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'
Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she
heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided
tresses, wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and
then the hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by
it.
After a year or two, it came to pass that the king's son rode through
the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song, which
was so charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel,
who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice
resound. The king's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the
door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the
singing had so deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out
into the forest and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing
behind a tree, he saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how
she cried:
'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'
Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress
climbed up to her. 'If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I too
will try my fortune,' said he, and the next day when it began to grow
dark, he went to the tower and cried:
'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'
Immediately the hair fell down and the king's son climbed up.
At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes
had never yet beheld, came to her; but the king's son began to talk
to her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so
stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to
see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she
would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and
handsome, she thought: 'He will love me more than old Dame Gothel
does'; and she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said: 'I will
willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring
with you a skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a
ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will take
me on your horse.' They agreed that until that time he should come to
her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The enchantress
remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her: 'Tell me,
Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw
up than the young king's son--he is with me in a moment.' 'Ah! you
wicked child,' cried the enchantress. 'What do I hear you say! I thought
I had separated you from all the world, and yet you have deceived me!'
In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful tresses, wrapped them
twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right,
and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the
ground. And she was so pitiless that she took poor Rapunzel into a
desert where she had to live in great grief and misery.
On the same day that she cast out Rapunzel, however, the
enchantress fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, to
the hook of the window, and when the king's son came and cried:
'Rapunzel, Rapunzel,
Let down your hair to me.'
she let the hair down. The king's son ascended, but instead of finding
his dearest Rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazed at him with
wicked and venomous looks. 'Aha!' she cried mockingly, 'you would
fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in
the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out your eyes as well.
Rapunzel is lost to you; you will never see her again.' The king's son
was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from
the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell
pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate
nothing but roots and berries, and did naught but lament and weep over
the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some
years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins
to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness.
He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went
towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his
neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear
again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom
where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time
afterwards, happy and contented.
Fundevogel
There was once a forester who went into the forest to hunt, and as
he entered it he heard a sound of screaming as if a little child were
there. He followed the sound, and at last came to a high tree, and at
the top of this a little child was sitting, for the mother had fallen
asleep under the tree with the child, and a bird of prey had seen it
in her arms, had flown down, snatched it away, and set it on the high
tree.
The forester climbed up, brought the child down, and thought to
himself: 'You will take him home with you, and bring him up with your
Lina.' He took it home, therefore, and the two children grew up
together. And the one, which he had found on a tree was called
Fundevogel, because a bird had carried it away. Fundevogel and Lina
loved each other so dearly that when they did not see each other they
were sad.
Now the forester had an old cook, who one evening took two pails and
began to fetch water, and did not go once only, but many times, out
to the spring. Lina saw this and said, 'Listen, old Sanna, why are you
fetching so much water?' 'If you will never repeat it to anyone, I
will tell you why.' So Lina said, no, she would never repeat it to
anyone, and then the cook said: 'Early tomorrow morning, when the
forester is out hunting, I will heat the water, and when it is boiling
in the kettle, I will throw in Fundevogel, and will boil him in it.'
Early next morning the forester got up and went out hunting, and when
he was gone the children were still in bed. Then Lina said to
Fundevogel: 'If you will never leave me, I too will never leave you.'
Fundevogel said: 'Neither now, nor ever will I leave you.' Then said
Lina: 'Then will I tell you. Last night, old Sanna carried so many
buckets of water into the house that I asked her why she was doing
that, and she said that if I would promise not to tell anyone, and she
said that early tomorrow morning when father was out hunting, she would
set the kettle full of water, throw you into it and boil you; but we
will get up quickly, dress ourselves, and go away together.'
The two children therefore got up, dressed themselves quickly, and
went away. When the water in the kettle was boiling, the cook went
into the bedroom to fetch Fundevogel and throw him into it. But when
she came in, and went to the beds, both the children were gone. Then
she was terribly alarmed, and she said to herself: 'What shall I say
now when the forester comes home and sees that the children are
gone? They must be followed instantly to get them back again.'
Then the cook sent three servants after them, who were to run and
overtake the children. The children, however, were sitting outside the
forest, and when they saw from afar the three servants running,
Lina said to Fundevogel: 'Never leave me, and I will never leave you.'
Fundevogel said: 'Neither now, nor ever.' Then said Lina: 'Do you become
a rose-tree, and I the rose upon it.' When the three servants came to
the forest, nothing was there but a rose-tree and one rose on it, but
the children were nowhere. Then said they: 'There is nothing to be done
here,' and they went home and told the cook that they had seen
nothing in the forest but a little rose-bush with one rose on it.
Then the old cook scolded and said: 'You simpletons, you should have
cut the rose-bush in two, and have broken off the rose and brought it
home with you; go, and do it at once.' They had therefore to go out
and look for the second time. The children, however, saw them coming
from a distance. Then Lina said: 'Fundevogel, never leave me, and I
will never leave you.' Fundevogel said: 'Neither now; nor ever.' Said
Lina: 'Then do you become a church, and I'll be the chandelier in
it.' So when the three servants came, nothing was there but a church,
with a chandelier in it. They said therefore to each other: 'What can
we do here, let us go home.' When they got home, the cook asked if they
had not found them; so they said no, they had found nothing but a
church, and there was a chandelier in it. And the cook scolded them
and said: 'You fools! why did you not pull the church to pieces, and
bring the chandelier home with you?' And now the old cook herself got
on her legs, and went with the three servants in pursuit of the
children. The children, however, saw from afar that the three servants
were coming, and the cook waddling after them. Then said Lina:
'Fundevogel, never leave me, and I will never leave you.' Then said
Fundevogel: 'Neither now, nor ever.' Said Lina: 'Be a fishpond, and I
will be the duck upon it.' The cook, however, came up to them, and when
she saw the pond she lay down by it, and was about to drink it up. But
the duck swam quickly to her, seized her head in its beak and drew her
into the water, and there the old witch had to drown. Then the
children went home together, and were heartily delighted, and if they
have not died, they are living still.
The Valiant Little Tailor
One summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by
the window; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might. Then
came a peasant woman down the street crying: 'Good jams, cheap!
Good jams, cheap!' This rang pleasantly in the tailor's ears; he
stretched his delicate head out of the window, and called: 'Come up
here, dear woman; here you will get rid of your goods.' The woman came
up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket, and he made her
unpack all the pots for him. He inspected each one, lifted it up,
put his nose to it, and at length said: 'The jam seems to me to be
good, so weigh me out four ounces, dear woman, and if it is a quarter of
a pound that is of no consequence.' The woman who had hoped to find a
good sale, gave him what he desired, but went away quite angry and
grumbling. 'Now, this jam shall be blessed by God,' cried the little
tailor, 'and give me health and strength'; so he brought the bread out
of the cupboard, cut himself a piece right across the loaf and spread
the jam over it. 'This won't taste bitter,' said he, 'but I will just
finish the jacket before I take a bite.' He laid the bread near him,
sewed on, and in his joy, made bigger and bigger stitches. In the
meantime the smell of the sweet jam rose to where the flies were
sitting in great numbers, and they were attracted and descended on it
in hosts. 'Hi! who invited you?' said the little tailor, and drove
the unbidden guests away. The flies, however, who understood no German,
would not be turned away, but came back again in ever-increasing
companies. The little tailor at last lost all patience, and drew a
piece of cloth from the hole under his work-table, and saying: 'Wait,
and I will give it to you,' struck it mercilessly on them. When he
drew it away and counted, there lay before him no fewer than seven,
dead and with legs stretched out. 'Are you a fellow of that sort?'
said he, and could not help admiring his own bravery. 'The whole town
shall know of this!' And the little tailor hastened to cut himself a
girdle, stitched it, and embroidered on it in large letters: 'Seven
at one stroke!' 'What, the town!' he continued, 'the whole world
shall hear of it!' and his heart wagged with joy like a lamb's tail.
The tailor put on the girdle, and resolved to go forth into the world,
because he thought his workshop was too small for his valour. Before
he went away, he sought about in the house to see if there was
anything which he could take with him; however, he found nothing but an
old cheese, and that he put in his pocket. In front of the door he
observed a bird which had caught itself in the thicket. It had to go
into his pocket with the cheese. Now he took to the road boldly, and as
he was light and nimble, he felt no fatigue. The road led him up a
mountain, and when he had reached the highest point of it, there sat
a powerful giant looking peacefully about him. The little tailor went
bravely up, spoke to him, and said: 'Good day, comrade, so you are
sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world! I am just on my way
thither, and want to try my luck. Have you any inclination to go
with me?' The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor, and said:
'You ragamuffin! You miserable creature!'
'Oh, indeed?' answered the little tailor, and unbuttoned his coat,
and showed the giant the girdle, 'there may you read what kind of a man
I am!' The giant read: 'Seven at one stroke,' and thought that they had
been men whom the tailor had killed, and began to feel a little
respect for the tiny fellow. Nevertheless, he wished to try him first,
and took a stone in his hand and squeezed it together so that water
dropped out of it. 'Do that likewise,' said the giant, 'if you have
strength.' 'Is that all?' said the tailor, 'that is child's play with
us!' and put his hand into his pocket, brought out the soft cheese, and
pressed it until the liquid ran out of it. 'Faith,' said he, 'that was
a little better, wasn't it?' The giant did not know what to say, and
could not believe it of the little man. Then the giant picked up a
stone and threw it so high that the eye could scarcely follow it.
'Now, little mite of a man, do that likewise,' 'Well thrown,' said
the tailor, 'but after all the stone came down to earth again; I
will throw you one which shall never come back at all,' and he put his
hand into his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it into the air. The
bird, delighted with its liberty, rose, flew away and did not come
back. 'How does that shot please you, comrade?' asked the tailor.
'You can certainly throw,' said the giant, 'but now we will see if you
are able to carry anything properly.' He took the little tailor to a
mighty oak tree which lay there felled on the ground, and said: 'If
you are strong enough, help me to carry the tree out of the forest.'
'Readily,' answered the little man; 'take you the trunk on your
shoulders, and I will raise up the branches and twigs; after all, they
are the heaviest.' The giant took the trunk on his shoulder, but the
tailor seated himself on a branch, and the giant, who could not look
round, had to carry away the whole tree, and the little tailor into
the bargain: he behind, was quite merry and happy, and whistled the
song: 'Three tailors rode forth from the gate,' as if carrying the tree
were child's play. The giant, after he had dragged the heavy burden
part of the way, could go no further, and cried: 'Hark you, I shall
have to let the tree fall!' The tailor sprang nimbly down, seized the
tree with both arms as if he had been carrying it, and said to the
giant: 'You are such a great fellow, and yet cannot even carry the
tree!'
They went on together, and as they passed a cherry-tree, the giant
laid hold of the top of the tree where the ripest fruit was hanging,
bent it down, gave it into the tailor's hand, and bade him eat. But
the little tailor was much too weak to hold the tree, and when the
giant let it go, it sprang back again, and the tailor was tossed into
the air with it. When he had fallen down again without injury, the
giant said: 'What is this? Have you not strength enough to hold the
weak twig?' 'There is no lack of strength,' answered the little
tailor. 'Do you think that could be anything to a man who has
struck down seven at one blow? I leapt over the tree because the
huntsmen are shooting down there in the thicket. Jump as I did, if you
can do it.' The giant made the attempt but he could not get over the
tree, and remained hanging in the branches, so that in this also the
tailor kept the upper hand.
The giant said: 'If you are such a valiant fellow, come with me into
our cavern and spend the night with us.' The little tailor was
willing, and followed him. When they went into the cave, other
giants were sitting there by the fire, and each of them had a roasted
sheep in his hand and was eating it. The little tailor looked round
and thought: 'It is much more spacious here than in my workshop.' The
giant showed him a bed, and said he was to lie down in it and sleep.
The bed, however, was too big for the little tailor; he did not lie
down in it, but crept into a corner. When it was midnight, and the
giant thought that the little tailor was lying in a sound sleep, he
got up, took a great iron bar, cut through the bed with one blow, and
thought he had finished off the grasshopper for good. With the
earliest dawn the giants went into the forest, and had quite
forgotten the little tailor, when all at once he walked up to them
quite merrily and boldly. The giants were terrified, they were afraid
that he would strike them all dead, and ran away in a great hurry.
The little tailor went onwards, always following his own pointed
nose. After he had walked for a long time, he came to the courtyard of
a royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay down on the grass and
fell asleep. Whilst he lay there, the people came and inspected him on
all sides, and read on his girdle: 'Seven at one stroke.' 'Ah!' said
they, 'what does the great warrior want here in the midst of peace? He
must be a mighty lord.' They went and announced him to the king, and
gave it as their opinion that if war should break out, this would be a
weighty and useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to
depart. The counsel pleased the king, and he sent one of his courtiers
to the little tailor to offer him military service when he awoke. The
ambassador remained standing by the sleeper, waited until he stretched
his limbs and opened his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal.
'For this very reason have I come here,' the tailor replied, 'I am
ready to enter the king's service.' He was therefore honourably
received, and a special dwelling was assigned him.
The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor, and wished
him a thousand miles away. 'What is to be the end of this?' they said
among themselves. 'If we quarrel with him, and he strikes about him,
seven of us will fall at every blow; not one of us can stand against
him.' They came therefore to a decision, betook themselves in a body
to the king, and begged for their dismissal. 'We are not prepared,'
said they, 'to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke.' The
king was sorry that for the sake of one he should lose all his faithful
servants, wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor, and would
willingly have been rid of him again. But he did not venture to give
him his dismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all
his people dead, and place himself on the royal throne. He thought
about it for a long time, and at last found good counsel. He sent to
the little tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was a great
warrior, he had one request to make to him. In a forest of his
country lived two giants, who caused great mischief with their
robbing, murdering, ravaging, and burning, and no one could approach
them without putting himself in danger of death. If the tailor
conquered and killed these two giants, he would give him his only
daughter to wife, and half of his kingdom as a dowry, likewise one
hundred horsemen should go with him to assist him. 'That would indeed
be a fine thing for a man like me!' thought the little tailor. 'One
is not offered a beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day
of one's life!' 'Oh, yes,' he replied, 'I will soon subdue the
giants, and do not require the help of the hundred horsemen to do it;
he who can hit seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two.'
The little tailor went forth, and the hundred horsemen followed him.
When he came to the outskirts of the forest, he said to his followers:
'Just stay waiting here, I alone will soon finish off the giants.'
Then he bounded into the forest and looked about right and left. After
a while he perceived both giants. They lay sleeping under a tree, and
snored so that the branches waved up and down. The little tailor, not
idle, gathered two pocketsful of stones, and with these climbed up
the tree. When he was halfway up, he slipped down by a branch,
until he sat just above the sleepers, and then let one stone after
another fall on the breast of one of the giants. For a long time the
giant felt nothing, but at last he awoke, pushed his comrade, and
said: 'Why are you knocking me?' 'You must be dreaming,' said the
other, 'I am not knocking you.' They laid themselves down to
sleep again, and then the tailor threw a stone down on the second.
'What is the meaning of this?' cried the other 'Why are you pelting
me?' 'I am not pelting you,' answered the first, growling. They
disputed about it for a time, but as they were weary they let the
matter rest, and their eyes closed once more. The little tailor began
his game again, picked out the biggest stone, and threw it with all
his might on the breast of the first giant. 'That is too bad!' cried
he, and sprang up like a madman, and pushed his companion against the
tree until it shook. The other paid him back in the same coin, and
they got into such a rage that they tore up trees and belaboured each
other so long, that at last they both fell down dead on the ground at
the same time. Then the little tailor leapt down. 'It is a lucky
thing,' said he, 'that they did not tear up the tree on which I was
sitting, or I should have had to sprint on to another like a squirrel;
but we tailors are nimble.' He drew out his sword and gave each of them
a couple of thrusts in the breast, and then went out to the horsemen and
said: 'The work is done; I have finished both of them off, but it was
hard work! They tore up trees in their sore need, and defended
themselves with them, but all that is to no purpose when a man like
myself comes, who can kill seven at one blow.' 'But are you not
wounded?' asked the horsemen. 'You need not concern yourself about
that,' answered the tailor, 'they have not bent one hair of mine.' The
horsemen would not believe him, and rode into the forest; there they
found the giants swimming in their blood, and all round about lay the
torn-up trees.
The little tailor demanded of the king the promised reward; he,
however, repented of his promise, and again bethought himself how he
could get rid of the hero. 'Before you receive my daughter, and the
half of my kingdom,' said he to him, 'you must perform one more
heroic deed. In the forest roams a unicorn which does great harm, and
you must catch it first.' 'I fear one unicorn still less than two
giants. Seven at one blow, is my kind of affair.' He took a rope and
an axe with him, went forth into the forest, and again bade those
who were sent with him to wait outside. He had not long to seek. The
unicorn soon came towards him, and rushed directly on the tailor, as
if it would gore him with its horn without more ado. 'Softly, softly; it
can't be done as quickly as that,' said he, and stood still and waited
until the animal was quite close, and then sprang nimbly behind the
tree. The unicorn ran against the tree with all its strength, and
stuck its horn so fast in the trunk that it had not the strength
enough to draw it out again, and thus it was caught. 'Now, I have got
the bird,' said the tailor, and came out from behind the tree and put
the rope round its neck, and then with his axe he hewed the horn out
of the tree, and when all was ready he led the beast away and took it to
the king.
The king still would not give him the promised reward, and made a
third demand. Before the wedding the tailor was to catch him a wild
boar that made great havoc in the forest, and the huntsmen should
give him their help. 'Willingly,' said the tailor, 'that is child's
play!' He did not take the huntsmen with him into the forest, and
they were well pleased that he did not, for the wild boar had several
times received them in such a manner that they had no inclination to
lie in wait for him. When the boar perceived the tailor, it ran on
him with foaming mouth and whetted tusks, and was about to throw him
to the ground, but the hero fled and sprang into a chapel which was
near and up to the window at once, and in one bound out again. The
boar ran after him, but the tailor ran round outside and shut the
door behind it, and then the raging beast, which was much too heavy
and awkward to leap out of the window, was caught. The little tailor
called the huntsmen thither that they might see the prisoner with their
own eyes. The hero, however, went to the king, who was now, whether
he liked it or not, obliged to keep his promise, and gave his
daughter and the half of his kingdom. Had he known that it was no
warlike hero, but a little tailor who was standing before him, it would
have gone to his heart still more than it did. The wedding was
held with great magnificence and small joy, and out of a tailor a king
was made.
After some time the young queen heard her husband say in his dreams
at night: 'Boy, make me the doublet, and patch the pantaloons, or else I
will rap the yard-measure over your ears.' Then she discovered in what
state of life the young lord had been born, and next morning
complained of her wrongs to her father, and begged him to help her
to get rid of her husband, who was nothing else but a tailor. The
king comforted her and said: 'Leave your bedroom door open this
night, and my servants shall stand outside, and when he has fallen
asleep shall go in, bind him, and take him on board a ship which
shall carry him into the wide world.' The woman was satisfied with
this; but the king's armour-bearer, who had heard all, was friendly with
the young lord, and informed him of the whole plot. 'I'll put a screw
into that business,' said the little tailor. At night he went to bed
with his wife at the usual time, and when she thought that he had
fallen asleep, she got up, opened the door, and then lay down again.
The little tailor, who was only pretending to be asleep, began to cry
out in a clear voice: 'Boy, make me the doublet and patch me the
pantaloons, or I will rap the yard-measure over your ears. I smote seven
at one blow. I killed two giants, I brought away one unicorn, and
caught a wild boar, and am I to fear those who are standing outside the
room.' When these men heard the tailor speaking thus, they were
overcome by a great dread, and ran as if the wild huntsman were
behind them, and none of them would venture anything further
against him. So the little tailor was and remained a king to the
end of his life.
Hansel And Gretel
Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his
two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had
little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the
land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought
over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he
groaned and said to his wife: 'What is to become of us? How are we to
feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for
ourselves?' 'I'll tell you what, husband,' answered the woman,
'early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest
to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and
give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our
work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and
we shall be rid of them.' 'No, wife,' said the man, 'I will not do
that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the
forest?--the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.' 'O,
you fool!' said she, 'then we must all four die of hunger, you may as
well plane the planks for our coffins,' and she left him no peace
until he consented. 'But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all
the same,' said the man.
The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had
heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter
tears, and said to Hansel: 'Now all is over with us.' 'Be quiet,
Gretel,' said Hansel, 'do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way
to help us.' And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put
on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon
shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house
glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the
little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he
went back and said to Gretel: 'Be comforted, dear little sister,
and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,' and he lay down again in
his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came
and awoke the two children, saying: 'Get up, you sluggards! we are going
into the forest to fetch wood.' She gave each a little piece of
bread, and said: 'There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it
up before then, for you will get nothing else.' Gretel took the bread
under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they
all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a
short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did
so again and again. His father said: 'Hansel, what are you looking at
there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to
use your legs.' 'Ah, father,' said Hansel, 'I am looking at my little
white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to
me.' The wife said: 'Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the
morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.' Hansel, however, had not
been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of
the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.
When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said:
'Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may
not be cold.' Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as
a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were
burning very high, the woman said: 'Now, children, lay yourselves down
by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood.
When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.'
Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a
little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the
wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the
axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree
which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had
been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and
they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark
night. Gretel began to cry and said: 'How are we to get out of the
forest now?' But Hansel comforted her and said: 'Just wait a little,
until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.' And when
the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and
followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and
showed them the way.
They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more
to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman
opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: 'You naughty
children, why have you slept so long in the forest?--we thought you were
never coming back at all!' The father, however, rejoiced, for it had
cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.
Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the
land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their
father: 'Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and
that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther
into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there
is no other means of saving ourselves!' The man's heart was heavy, and
he thought: 'It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with
your children.' The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he
had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B,
likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a
second time also.
The children, however, were still awake and had heard the
conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and
wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the
woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless
he comforted his little sister, and said: 'Do not cry, Gretel, go to
sleep quietly, the good God will help us.'
Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of
their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still
smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel
crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a
morsel on the ground. 'Hansel, why do you stop and look round?' said
the father, 'go on.' 'I am looking back at my little pigeon which is
sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,' answered Hansel.
'Fool!' said the woman, 'that is not your little pigeon, that is the
morning sun that is shining on the chimney.' Hansel, however little
by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they
had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again
made, and the mother said: 'Just sit there, you children, and when you
are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut
wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you
away.' When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel,
who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening
passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until
it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said:
'Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the
crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way
home again.' When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs,
for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and
fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: 'We shall
soon find the way,' but they did not find it. They walked the whole
night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did
not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to
eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they
were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay
down beneath a tree and fell asleep.
It was now three mornings since they had left their father's house.
They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest,
and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness.
When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a
bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened
to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away
before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house,
on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little
house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but
that the windows were of clear sugar. 'We will set to work on that,'
said Hansel, 'and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and
you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.' Hansel
reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it
tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes.
Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:
'Nibble, nibble, gnaw,
Who is nibbling at my little house?'
The children answered:
'The wind, the wind,
The heaven-born wind,'
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked
the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel
pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed
herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the
hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and
Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in
their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: 'Oh,
you dear children, who has brought you here? do come in, and stay
with me. No harm shall happen to you.' She took them both by the hand,
and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them,
milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty
little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel
lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.
The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality
a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the
little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell
into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a
feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they
have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings
draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she
laughed with malice, and said mockingly: 'I have them, they shall not
escape me again!' Early in the morning before the children were awake,
she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking
so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself:
'That will be a dainty mouthful!' Then she seized Hansel with her
shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in
behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then
she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: 'Get up,
lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your
brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he
is fat, I will eat him.' Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was
all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.
And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got
nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little
stable, and cried: 'Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if
you will soon be fat.' Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to
her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and
thought it was Hansel's finger, and was astonished that there was no
way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still
remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any
longer. 'Now, then, Gretel,' she cried to the girl, 'stir yourself,
and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill
him, and cook him.' Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she
had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks!
'Dear God, do help us,' she cried. 'If the wild beasts in the forest
had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.' 'Just
keep your noise to yourself,' said the old woman, 'it won't help you
at all.'
Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron
with the water, and light the fire. 'We will bake first,' said the old
woman, 'I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.' She
pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were
already darting. 'Creep in,' said the witch, 'and see if it is properly
heated, so that we can put the bread in.' And once Gretel was inside,
she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she
would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: 'I
do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?' 'Silly goose,' said
the old woman. 'The door is big enough; just look, I can get in
myself!' and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then
Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron
door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite
horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably
burnt to death.
Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little
stable, and cried: 'Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!'
Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is
opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about
and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her,
they went into the witch's house, and in every corner there stood
chests full of pearls and jewels. 'These are far better than
pebbles!' said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be
got in, and Gretel said: 'I, too, will take something home with me,'
and filled her pinafore full. 'But now we must be off,' said Hansel,
'that we may get out of the witch's forest.'
When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of
water. 'We cannot cross,' said Hansel, 'I see no foot-plank, and no
bridge.' 'And there is also no ferry,' answered Gretel, 'but a white
duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.' Then she
cried:
'Little duck, little duck, dost thou see,
Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee?
There's never a plank, or bridge in sight,
Take us across on thy back so white.'
The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told
his sister to sit by him. 'No,' replied Gretel, 'that will be too
heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the
other.' The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely
across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more
and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their
father's house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and
threw themselves round their father's neck. The man had not known one
happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman,
however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and
precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after
another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an
end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done,
there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap
out of it.
The Mouse, The Bird, And The Sausage
Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into
partnership and set up house together. For a long time all went well;
they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add
considerably to their stores. The bird's duty was to fly daily into the
wood and bring in fuel; the mouse fetched the water, and the sausage
saw to the cooking.
When people are too well off they always begin to long for something
new. And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a
fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his
household arrangements. But the other bird sneered at him for
being a poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other
two stayed at home and had a good time of it. For, when the mouse
had made the fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her
little room and rest until it was time to set the table. The sausage had
only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and
when it was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth,
or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and
there they were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. Then,
when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down
to table, and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their
fill till the following morning: and that was really a very
delightful life.
Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in
the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long
enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now
time to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the
work. Beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no
use; the bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had
to be made. They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to
bring in the wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the
water.
And now what happened? The sausage started in search of wood, the
bird made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two
waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day.
But the sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the
bird flew out to meet him. He had not flown far, however, when he came
across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his
legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. The bird
complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he
said was of any avail, for the dog answered that he found false
credentials on the sausage, and that was the reason his life had been
forfeited.
He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he
had seen and heard. They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make the
best of things and to remain with one another.
So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food
and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling
in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped
into the pot; but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom,
having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but also with
life.
Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he
could nowhere see the cook. In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood
here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was
to be found. Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown
down, caught fire and began to blaze. The bird hastened to fetch some
water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he
was unable to recover himself, he was drowned.
Mother Holle
Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters; one of them
was beautiful and industrious, the other ugly and lazy. The mother,
however, loved the ugly and lazy one best, because she was her own
daughter, and so the other, who was only her stepdaughter, was made to
do all the work of the house, and was quite the Cinderella of the
family. Her stepmother sent her out every day to sit by the well in the
high road, there to spin until she made her fingers bleed. Now it
chanced one day that some blood fell on to the spindle, and as the girl
stopped over the well to wash it off, the spindle suddenly sprang out
of her hand and fell into the well. She ran home crying to tell of
her misfortune, but her stepmother spoke harshly to her, and after
giving her a violent scolding, said unkindly, 'As you have let the
spindle fall into the well you may go yourself and fetch it out.'
The girl went back to the well not knowing what to do, and at last in
her distress she jumped into the water after the spindle.
She remembered nothing more until she awoke and found herself in
a beautiful meadow, full of sunshine, and with countless flowers
blooming in every direction.
She walked over the meadow, and presently she came upon a baker's
oven full of bread, and the loaves cried out to her, 'Take us out, take
us out, or alas! we shall be burnt to a cinder; we were baked through
long ago.' So she took the bread-shovel and drew them all out.
She went on a little farther, till she came to a free full of
apples. 'Shake me, shake me, I pray,' cried the tree; 'my apples, one
and all, are ripe.' So she shook the tree, and the apples came falling
down upon her like rain; but she continued shaking until there was
not a single apple left upon it. Then she carefully gathered the
apples together in a heap and walked on again.
The next thing she came to was a little house, and there she saw an
old woman looking out, with such large teeth, that she was
terrified, and turned to run away. But the old woman called after
her, 'What are you afraid of, dear child? Stay with me; if you will
do the work of my house properly for me, I will make you very happy.
You must be very careful, however, to make my bed in the right way,
for I wish you always to shake it thoroughly, so that the feathers fly
about; then they say, down there in the world, that it is snowing; for
I am Mother Holle.' The old woman spoke so kindly, that the girl
summoned up courage and agreed to enter into her service.
She took care to do everything according to the old woman's bidding
and every time she made the bed she shook it with all her might, so
that the feathers flew about like so many snowflakes. The old woman was
as good as her word: she never spoke angrily to her, and gave her
roast and boiled meats every day.
So she stayed on with Mother Holle for some time, and then she began
to grow unhappy. She could not at first tell why she felt sad, but she
became conscious at last of great longing to go home; then she knew
she was homesick, although she was a thousand times better off with
Mother Holle than with her mother and sister. After waiting awhile, she
went to Mother Holle and said, 'I am so homesick, that I cannot stay
with you any longer, for although I am so happy here, I must return to
my own people.'
Then Mother Holle said, 'I am pleased that you should want to go back
to your own people, and as you have served me so well and faithfully, I
will take you home myself.'
Thereupon she led the girl by the hand up to a broad gateway. The gate
was opened, and as the girl passed through, a shower of gold fell upon
her, and the gold clung to her, so that she was covered with it from
head to foot.
'That is a reward for your industry,' said Mother Holle, and as she
spoke she handed her the spindle which she had dropped into the well.
The gate was then closed, and the girl found herself back in the old
world close to her mother's house. As she entered the courtyard, the
cock who was perched on the well, called out:
'Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Your golden daughter's come back to you.'
Then she went in to her mother and sister, and as she was so
richly covered with gold, they gave her a warm welcome. She related to
them all that had happened, and when the mother heard how she had come
by her great riches, she thought she should like her ugly, lazy daughter
to go and try her fortune. So she made the sister go and sit by the
well and spin, and the girl pricked her finger and thrust her hand into
a thorn-bush, so that she might drop some blood on to the spindle; then
she threw it into the well, and jumped in herself.
Like her sister she awoke in the beautiful meadow, and walked over it
till she came to the oven. 'Take us out, take us out, or alas! we
shall be burnt to a cinder; we were baked through long ago,' cried
the loaves as before. But the lazy girl answered, 'Do you think I am
going to dirty my hands for you?' and walked on.
Presently she came to the apple-tree. 'Shake me, shake me, I pray;
my apples, one and all, are ripe,' it cried. But she only answered, 'A
nice thing to ask me to do, one of the apples might fall on my
head,' and passed on.
At last she came to Mother Holle's house, and as she had heard all
about the large teeth from her sister, she was not afraid of them, and
engaged herself without delay to the old woman.
The first day she was very obedient and industrious, and exerted
herself to please Mother Holle, for she thought of the gold she
should get in return. The next day, however, she began to dawdle over
her work, and the third day she was more idle still; then she began
to lie in bed in the mornings and refused to get up. Worse still, she
neglected to make the old woman's bed properly, and forgot to shake it
so that the feathers might fly about. So Mother Holle very soon got
tired of her, and told her she might go. The lazy girl was delighted
at this, and thought to herself, 'The gold will soon be mine.' Mother
Holle led her, as she had led her sister, to the broad gateway; but
as she was passing through, instead of the shower of gold, a great
bucketful of pitch came pouring over her.
'That is in return for your services,' said the old woman, and she
shut the gate.
So the lazy girl had to go home covered with pitch, and the cock on
the well called out as she saw her:
'Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Your dirty daughter's come back to you.'
But, try what she would, she could not get the pitch off and it stuck
to her as long as she lived.
Little Red-Cap [Little Red Riding Hood]
Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by
everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and
there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once
she gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well
that she would never wear anything else; so she was always called
'Little Red-Cap.'
One day her mother said to her: 'Come, Little Red-Cap, here is a piece
of cake and a bottle of wine; take them to your grandmother, she is ill
and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, and
when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the
path, or you may fall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother
will get nothing; and when you go into her room, don't forget to say,
"Good morning", and don't peep into every corner before you do it.'
'I will take great care,' said Little Red-Cap to her mother, and gave
her hand on it.
The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village,
and just as Little Red-Cap entered the wood, a wolf met her. Red-Cap
did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid
of him.
'Good day, Little Red-Cap,' said he.
'Thank you kindly, wolf.'
'Whither away so early, Little Red-Cap?'
'To my grandmother's.'
'What have you got in your apron?'
'Cake and wine; yesterday was baking-day, so poor sick grandmother is
to have something good, to make her stronger.'
'Where does your grandmother live, Little Red-Cap?'
'A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood; her house stands
under the three large oak-trees, the nut-trees are just below; you
surely must know it,' replied Little Red-Cap.
The wolf thought to himself: 'What a tender young creature! what a
nice plump mouthful--she will be better to eat than the old woman. I
must act craftily, so as to catch both.' So he walked for a short time
by the side of Little Red-Cap, and then he said: 'See, Little Red-Cap,
how pretty the flowers are about here--why do you not look round? I
believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are
singing; you walk gravely along as if you were going to school, while
everything else out here in the wood is merry.'
Little Red-Cap raised her eyes, and when she saw the sunbeams dancing
here and there through the trees, and pretty flowers growing
everywhere, she thought: 'Suppose I take grandmother a fresh nosegay;
that would please her too. It is so early in the day that I shall
still get there in good time'; and so she ran from the path into the
wood to look for flowers. And whenever she had picked one, she fancied
that she saw a still prettier one farther on, and ran after it, and so
got deeper and deeper into the wood.
Meanwhile the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house and knocked
at the door.
'Who is there?'
'Little Red-Cap,' replied the wolf. 'She is bringing cake and wine;
open the door.'
'Lift the latch,' called out the grandmother, 'I am too weak, and
cannot get up.'
The wolf lifted the latch, the door sprang open, and without saying a
word he went straight to the grandmother's bed, and devoured her. Then
he put on her clothes, dressed himself in her cap laid himself in bed
and drew the curtains.
Little Red-Cap, however, had been running about picking flowers, and
when she had gathered so many that she could carry no more, she
remembered her grandmother, and set out on the way to her.
She was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open, and when
she went into the room, she had such a strange feeling that she
said to herself: 'Oh dear! how uneasy I feel today, and at other
times I like being with grandmother so much.' She called out: 'Good
morning,' but received no answer; so she went to the bed and drew
back the curtains. There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled
far over her face, and looking very strange.
'Oh! grandmother,' she said, 'what big ears you have!'
'The better to hear you with, my child,' was the reply.
'But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!' she said.
'The better to see you with, my dear.'
'But, grandmother, what large hands you have!'
'The better to hug you with.'
'Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!'
'The better to eat you with!'
And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of
bed and swallowed up Red-Cap.
When the wolf had appeased his appetite, he lay down again in the
bed, fell asleep and began to snore very loud. The huntsman was just
passing the house, and thought to himself: 'How the old woman is
snoring! I must just see if she wants anything.' So he went into the
room, and when he came to the bed, he saw that the wolf was lying in
it. 'Do I find you here, you old sinner!' said he. 'I have long sought
you!' Then just as he was going to fire at him, it occurred to him
that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother, and that she might
still be saved, so he did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and
began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf. When he had made
two snips, he saw the little Red-Cap shining, and then he made two
snips more, and the little girl sprang out, crying: 'Ah, how frightened
I have been! How dark it was inside the wolf'; and after that the aged
grandmother came out alive also, but scarcely able to breathe. Red-Cap,
however, quickly fetched great stones with which they filled the wolf's
belly, and when he awoke, he wanted to run away, but the stones were so
heavy that he collapsed at once, and fell dead.
Then all three were delighted. The huntsman drew off the wolf's skin
and went home with it; the grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine
which Red-Cap had brought, and revived, but Red-Cap thought to herself:
'As long as I live, I will never by myself leave the path, to run into
the wood, when my mother has forbidden me to do so.'
It also related that once when Red-Cap was again taking cakes to the
old grandmother, another wolf spoke to her, and tried to entice her
from the path. Red-Cap, however, was on her guard, and went straight
forward on her way, and told her grandmother that she had met the wolf,
and that he had said 'good morning' to her, but with such a wicked look
in his eyes, that if they had not been on the public road she was
certain he would have eaten her up. 'Well,' said the grandmother, 'we
will shut the door, that he may not come in.' Soon afterwards the
wolf knocked, and cried: 'Open the door, grandmother, I am Little
Red-Cap, and am bringing you some cakes.' But they did not speak, or
open the door, so the grey-beard stole twice or thrice round the house,
and at last jumped on the roof, intending to wait until Red-Cap went
home in the evening, and then to steal after her and devour her in
the darkness. But the grandmother saw what was in his thoughts. In
front of the house was a great stone trough, so she said to the child:
'Take the pail, Red-Cap; I made some sausages yesterday, so carry the
water in which I boiled them to the trough.' Red-Cap carried until
the great trough was quite full. Then the smell of the sausages
reached the wolf, and he sniffed and peeped down, and at last
stretched out his neck so far that he could no longer keep his footing
and began to slip, and slipped down from the roof straight into the
great trough, and was drowned. But Red-Cap went joyously home, and no
one ever did anything to harm her again.
The Robber Bridegroom
There was once a miller who had one beautiful daughter, and as she
was grown up, he was anxious that she should be well married and
provided for. He said to himself, 'I will give her to the first
suitable man who comes and asks for her hand.' Not long after a
suitor appeared, and as he appeared to be very rich and the miller
could see nothing in him with which to find fault, he betrothed his
daughter to him. But the girl did not care for the man as a girl
ought to care for her betrothed husband. She did not feel that she
could trust him, and she could not look at him nor think of him
without an inward shudder. One day he said to her, 'You have not yet
paid me a visit, although we have been betrothed for some time.' 'I
do not know where your house is,' she answered. 'My house is out there
in the dark forest,' he said. She tried to excuse herself by saying
that she would not be able to find the way thither. Her betrothed
only replied, 'You must come and see me next Sunday; I have already
invited guests for that day, and that you may not mistake the way, I
will strew ashes along the path.'
When Sunday came, and it was time for the girl to start, a feeling
of dread came over her which she could not explain, and that she
might be able to find her path again, she filled her pockets with peas
and lentils to sprinkle on the ground as she went along. On reaching
the entrance to the forest she found the path strewed with ashes, and
these she followed, throwing down some peas on either side of her at
every step she took. She walked the whole day until she came to the
deepest, darkest part of the forest. There she saw a lonely house,
looking so grim and mysterious, that it did not please her at all. She
stepped inside, but not a soul was to be seen, and a great silence
reigned throughout. Suddenly a voice cried:
'Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair,
Linger not in this murderers' lair.'
The girl looked up and saw that the voice came from a bird hanging in
a cage on the wall. Again it cried:
'Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair,
Linger not in this murderers' lair.'
The girl passed on, going from room to room of the house, but they
were all empty, and still she saw no one. At last she came to the
cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not keep
her head from shaking. 'Can you tell me,' asked the girl, 'if my
betrothed husband lives here?'
'Ah, you poor child,' answered the old woman, 'what a place for you
to come to! This is a murderers' den. You think yourself a promised
bride, and that your marriage will soon take place, but it is with death
that you will keep your marriage feast. Look, do you see that large
cauldron of water which I am obliged to keep on the fire! As soon as
they have you in their power they will kill you without mercy, and
cook and eat you, for they are eaters of men. If I did not take pity
on you and save you, you would be lost.'
Thereupon the old woman led her behind a large cask, which quite hid
her from view. 'Keep as still as a mouse,' she said; 'do not move or
speak, or it will be all over with you. Tonight, when the robbers are
all asleep, we will flee together. I have long been waiting for an
opportunity to escape.'
The words were hardly out of her mouth when the godless crew
returned, dragging another young girl along with them. They were all
drunk, and paid no heed to her cries and lamentations. They gave her
wine to drink, three glasses full, one of white wine, one of red, and
one of yellow, and with that her heart gave way and she died. Then
they tore of her dainty clothing, laid her on a table, and cut her
beautiful body into pieces, and sprinkled salt upon it.
The poor betrothed girl crouched trembling and shuddering behind the
cask, for she saw what a terrible fate had been intended for her by the
robbers. One of them now noticed a gold ring still remaining on the
little finger of the murdered girl, and as he could not draw it off
easily, he took a hatchet and cut off the finger; but the finger
sprang into the air, and fell behind the cask into the lap of the girl
who was hiding there. The robber took a light and began looking for
it, but he could not find it. 'Have you looked behind the large cask?'
said one of the others. But the old woman called out, 'Come and eat
your suppers, and let the thing be till tomorrow; the finger won't run
away.'
'The old woman is right,' said the robbers, and they ceased looking
for the finger and sat down.
The old woman then mixed a sleeping draught with their wine, and
before long they were all lying on the floor of the cellar, fast
asleep and snoring. As soon as the girl was assured of this, she came
from behind the cask. She was obliged to step over the bodies of the
sleepers, who were lying close together, and every moment she was
filled with renewed dread lest she should awaken them. But God helped
her, so that she passed safely over them, and then she and the old woman
went upstairs, opened the door, and hastened as fast as they could from
the murderers' den. They found the ashes scattered by the wind, but the
peas and lentils had sprouted, and grown sufficiently above the
ground, to guide them in the moonlight along the path. All night long
they walked, and it was morning before they reached the mill. Then
the girl told her father all that had happened.
The day came that had been fixed for the marriage. The bridegroom
arrived and also a large company of guests, for the miller had
taken care to invite all his friends and relations. As they sat at the
feast, each guest in turn was asked to tell a tale; the bride sat
still and did not say a word.
'And you, my love,' said the bridegroom, turning to her, 'is there no
tale you know? Tell us something.'
'I will tell you a dream, then,' said the bride. 'I went alone through
a forest and came at last to a house; not a soul could I find within,
but a bird that was hanging in a cage on the wall cried:
"Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair,
Linger not in this murderers' lair."
and again a second time it said these words.'
'My darling, this is only a dream.'
'I went on through the house from room to room, but they were all
empty, and everything was so grim and mysterious. At last I went
down to the cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not
keep her head still. I asked her if my betrothed lived here, and she
answered, "Ah, you poor child, you are come to a murderers' den; your
betrothed does indeed live here, but he will kill you without mercy and
afterwards cook and eat you."'
'My darling, this is only a dream.'
'The old woman hid me behind a large cask, and scarcely had she done
this when the robbers returned home, dragging a young girl along with
them. They gave her three kinds of wine to drink, white, red, and
yellow, and with that she died.'
'My darling, this is only a dream.'
'Then they tore off her dainty clothing, and cut her beautiful body
into pieces and sprinkled salt upon it.'
'My darling, this is only a dream.'
'And one of the robbers saw that there was a gold ring still left on
her finger, and as it was difficult to draw off, he took a hatchet and
cut off her finger; but the finger sprang into the air and fell behind
the great cask into my lap. And here is the finger with the ring.'
and with these words the bride drew forth the finger and shewed it
to the assembled guests.
The bridegroom, who during this recital had grown deadly pale, up
and tried to escape, but the guests seized him and held him fast.
They delivered him up to justice, and he and all his murderous
band were condemned to death for their wicked deeds.
Tom Thumb
A poor woodman sat in his cottage one night, smoking his pipe by
the fireside, while his wife sat by his side spinning. 'How lonely
it is, wife,' said he, as he puffed out a long curl of smoke, 'for you
and me to sit here by ourselves, without any children to play about
and amuse us while other people seem so happy and merry with their
children!' 'What you say is very true,' said the wife, sighing, and
turning round her wheel; 'how happy should I be if I had but one
child! If it were ever so small--nay, if it were no bigger than my
thumb--I should be very happy, and love it dearly.' Now--odd as you
may think it--it came to pass that this good woman's wish was
fulfilled, just in the very way she had wished it; for, not long
afterwards, she had a little boy, who was quite healthy and strong, but
was not much bigger than my thumb. So they said, 'Well, we cannot
say we have not got what we wished for, and, little as he is, we will
love him dearly.' And they called him Thomas Thumb.
They gave him plenty of food, yet for all they could do he never
grew bigger, but kept just the same size as he had been when he was
born. Still, his eyes were sharp and sparkling, and he soon showed
himself to be a clever little fellow, who always knew well what he was
about.
One day, as the woodman was getting ready to go into the wood to cut
fuel, he said, 'I wish I had someone to bring the cart after me, for I
want to make haste.' 'Oh, father,' cried Tom, 'I will take care of
that; the cart shall be in the wood by the time you want it.' Then the
woodman laughed, and said, 'How can that be? you cannot reach up to
the horse's bridle.' 'Never mind that, father,' said Tom; 'if my
mother will only harness the horse, I will get into his ear and tell
him which way to go.' 'Well,' said the father, 'we will try for once.'
When the time came the mother harnessed the horse to the cart, and put
Tom into his ear; and as he sat there the little man told the beast how
to go, crying out, 'Go on!' and 'Stop!' as he wanted: and thus the horse
went on just as well as if the woodman had driven it himself into
the wood. It happened that as the horse was going a little too
fast, and Tom was calling out, 'Gently! gently!' two strangers came
up. 'What an odd thing that is!' said one: 'there is a cart going
along, and I hear a carter talking to the horse, but yet I can see no
one.' 'That is queer, indeed,' said the other; 'let us follow the
cart, and see where it goes.' So they went on into the wood, till at
last they came to the place where the woodman was. Then Tom Thumb,
seeing his father, cried out, 'See, father, here I am with the cart,
all right and safe! now take me down!' So his father took hold of the
horse with one hand, and with the other took his son out of the
horse's ear, and put him down upon a straw, where he sat as merry as you
please.
The two strangers were all this time looking on, and did not know what
to say for wonder. At last one took the other aside, and said, 'That
little urchin will make our fortune, if we can get him, and carry him
about from town to town as a show; we must buy him.' So they went up to
the woodman, and asked him what he would take for the little man. 'He
will be better off,' said they, 'with us than with you.' 'I won't sell
him at all,' said the father; 'my own flesh and blood is dearer to me
than all the silver and gold in the world.' But Tom, hearing of the
bargain they wanted to make, crept up his father's coat to his shoulder
and whispered in his ear, 'Take the money, father, and let them have
me; I'll soon come back to you.'
So the woodman at last said he would sell Tom to the strangers for a
large piece of gold, and they paid the price. 'Where would you like
to sit?' said one of them. 'Oh, put me on the rim of your hat; that
will be a nice gallery for me; I can walk about there and see the
country as we go along.' So they did as he wished; and when Tom had
taken leave of his father they took him away with them.
They journeyed on till it began to be dusky, and then the little man
said, 'Let me get down, I'm tired.' So the man took off his hat, and
put him down on a clod of earth, in a ploughed field by the side of the
road. But Tom ran about amongst the furrows, and at last slipped
into an old mouse-hole. 'Good night, my masters!' said he, 'I'm off!
mind and look sharp after me the next time.' Then they ran at once
to the place, and poked the ends of their sticks into the mouse-hole,
but all in vain; Tom only crawled farther and farther in; and at last
it became quite dark, so that they were forced to go their way
without their prize, as sulky as could be.
When Tom found they were gone, he came out of his hiding-place.
'What dangerous walking it is,' said he, 'in this ploughed field! If I
were to fall from one of these great clods, I should undoubtedly break
my neck.' At last, by good luck, he found a large empty
snail-shell. 'This is lucky,' said he, 'I can sleep here very well';
and in he crept.
Just as he was falling asleep, he heard two men passing by,
chatting together; and one said to the other, 'How can we rob that
rich parson's house of his silver and gold?' 'I'll tell you!' cried
Tom. 'What noise was that?' said the thief, frightened; 'I'm sure I
heard someone speak.' They stood still listening, and Tom said, 'Take
me with you, and I'll soon show you how to get the parson's money.' 'But
where are you?' said they. 'Look about on the ground,' answered he,
'and listen where the sound comes from.' At last the thieves found
him out, and lifted him up in their hands. 'You little urchin!' they
said, 'what can you do for us?' 'Why, I can get between the iron
window-bars of the parson's house, and throw you out whatever you
want.' 'That's a good thought,' said the thieves; 'come along, we
shall see what you can do.'
When they came to the parson's house, Tom slipped through the
window-bars into the room, and then called out as loud as he could
bawl, 'Will you have all that is here?' At this the thieves were
frightened, and said, 'Softly, softly! Speak low, that you may not
awaken anybody.' But Tom seemed as if he did not understand them, and
bawled out again, 'How much will you have? Shall I throw it all out?'
Now the cook lay in the next room; and hearing a noise she raised
herself up in her bed and listened. Meantime the thieves were
frightened, and ran off a little way; but at last they plucked up
their hearts, and said, 'The little urchin is only trying to make
fools of us.' So they came back and whispered softly to him, saying,
'Now let us have no more of your roguish jokes; but throw us out some
of the money.' Then Tom called out as loud as he could, 'Very well!
hold your hands! here it comes.'
The cook heard this quite plain, so she sprang out of bed, and ran to
open the door. The thieves ran off as if a wolf was at their tails:
and the maid, having groped about and found nothing, went away for a
light. By the time she came back, Tom had slipped off into the barn;
and when she had looked about and searched every hole and corner, and
found nobody, she went to bed, thinking she must have been dreaming
with her eyes open.
The little man crawled about in the hay-loft, and at last found a
snug place to finish his night's rest in; so he laid himself down,
meaning to sleep till daylight, and then find his way home to his
father and mother. But alas! how woefully he was undone! what crosses
and sorrows happen to us all in this world! The cook got up early,
before daybreak, to feed the cows; and going straight to the hay-loft,
carried away a large bundle of hay, with the little man in the
middle of it, fast asleep. He still, however, slept on, and did not
awake till he found himself in the mouth of the cow; for the cook had
put the hay into the cow's rick, and the cow had taken Tom up in a
mouthful of it. 'Good lack-a-day!' said he, 'how came I to tumble into
the mill?' But he soon found out where he really was; and was forced
to have all his wits about him, that he might not get between the
cow's teeth, and so be crushed to death. At last down he went into her
stomach. 'It is rather dark,' said he; 'they forgot to build windows
in this room to let the sun in; a candle would be no bad thing.'
Though he made the best of his bad luck, he did not like his quarters
at all; and the worst of it was, that more and more hay was always
coming down, and the space left for him became smaller and smaller. At
last he cried out as loud as he could, 'Don't bring me any more hay!
Don't bring me any more hay!'
The maid happened to be just then milking the cow; and hearing
someone speak, but seeing nobody, and yet being quite sure it was the
same voice that she had heard in the night, she was so frightened that
she fell off her stool, and overset the milk-pail. As soon as she could
pick herself up out of the dirt, she ran off as fast as she could
to her master the parson, and said, 'Sir, sir, the cow is talking!'
But the parson said, 'Woman, thou art surely mad!' However, he
went with her into the cow-house, to try and see what was the
matter.
Scarcely had they set foot on the threshold, when Tom called out,
'Don't bring me any more hay!' Then the parson himself was
frightened; and thinking the cow was surely bewitched, told his man
to kill her on the spot. So the cow was killed, and cut up; and the
stomach, in which Tom lay, was thrown out upon a dunghill.
Tom soon set himself to work to get out, which was not a very easy
task; but at last, just as he had made room to get his head out, fresh
ill-luck befell him. A hungry wolf sprang out, and swallowed up the
whole stomach, with Tom in it, at one gulp, and ran away.
Tom, however, was still not disheartened; and thinking the wolf would
not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along, he called
out, 'My good friend, I can show you a famous treat.' 'Where's that?'
said the wolf. 'In such and such a house,' said Tom, describing his
own father's house. 'You can crawl through the drain into the kitchen
and then into the pantry, and there you will find cakes, ham, beef, cold
chicken, roast pig, apple-dumplings, and everything that your heart can
wish.'
The wolf did not want to be asked twice; so that very night he went to
the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen, and then
into the pantry, and ate and drank there to his heart's content. As
soon as he had had enough he wanted to get away; but he had eaten so
much that he could not go out by the same way he came in.
This was just what Tom had reckoned upon; and now he began to set up
a great shout, making all the noise he could. 'Will you be easy?' said
the wolf; 'you'll awaken everybody in the house if you make such a
clatter.' 'What's that to me?' said the little man; 'you have had your
frolic, now I've a mind to be merry myself'; and he began, singing
and shouting as loud as he could.
The woodman and his wife, being awakened by the noise, peeped through
a crack in the door; but when they saw a wolf was there, you may
well suppose that they were sadly frightened; and the woodman ran for
his axe, and gave his wife a scythe. 'Do you stay behind,' said the
woodman, 'and when I have knocked him on the head you must rip him up
with the scythe.' Tom heard all this, and cried out, 'Father, father!
I am here, the wolf has swallowed me.' And his father said, 'Heaven be
praised! we have found our dear child again'; and he told his wife not
to use the scythe for fear she should hurt him. Then he aimed a great
blow, and struck the wolf on the head, and killed him on the spot!
and when he was dead they cut open his body, and set Tommy free. 'Ah!'
said the father, 'what fears we have had for you!' 'Yes, father,'
answered he; 'I have travelled all over the world, I think, in one
way or other, since we parted; and now I am very glad to come home and
get fresh air again.' 'Why, where have you been?' said his father. 'I
have been in a mouse-hole--and in a snail-shell--and down a cow's
throat--and in the wolf's belly; and yet here I am again, safe and
sound.'
'Well,' said they, 'you are come back, and we will not sell you again
for all the riches in the world.'
Then they hugged and kissed their dear little son, and gave him plenty
to eat and drink, for he was very hungry; and then they fetched new
clothes for him, for his old ones had been quite spoiled on his journey.
So Master Thumb stayed at home with his father and mother, in peace;
for though he had been so great a traveller, and had done and seen so
many fine things, and was fond enough of telling the whole story, he
always agreed that, after all, there's no place like _home!_
Rumpelstiltskin
By the side of a wood, in a country a long way off, ran a fine stream
of water; and upon the stream there stood a mill. The miller's house
was close by, and the miller, you must know, had a very beautiful
daughter. She was, moreover, very shrewd and clever; and the miller was
so proud of her, that he one day told the king of the land, who used to
come and hunt in the wood, that his daughter could spin gold out of
straw. Now this king was very fond of money; and when he heard
the miller's boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the
girl to be brought before him. Then he led her to a chamber in his
palace where there was a great heap of straw, and gave her a
spinning-wheel, and said, 'All this must be spun into gold before
morning, as you love your life.' It was in vain that the poor maiden
said that it was only a silly boast of her father, for that she could
do no such thing as spin straw into gold: the chamber door was locked,
and she was left alone.
She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard
fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man
hobbled in, and said, 'Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are
you weeping for?' 'Alas!' said she, 'I must spin this straw into gold,
and I know not how.' 'What will you give me,' said the hobgoblin, 'to
do it for you?' 'My necklace,' replied the maiden. He took her at her
word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang:
'Round about, round about,
Lo and behold!
Reel away, reel away,
Straw into gold!'
And round about the wheel went merrily; the work was quickly done, and
the straw was all spun into gold.
When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and
pleased; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut
up the poor miller's daughter again with a fresh task. Then she knew
not what to do, and sat down once more to weep; but the dwarf soon
opened the door, and said, 'What will you give me to do your task?'
'The ring on my finger,' said she. So her little friend took the
ring, and began to work at the wheel again, and whistled and sang:
'Round about, round about,
Lo and behold!
Reel away, reel away,
Straw into gold!'
till, long before morning, all was done again.
The king was greatly delighted to see all this glittering treasure;
but still he had not enough: so he took the miller's daughter to a yet
larger heap, and said, 'All this must be spun tonight; and if it is, you
shall be my queen.' As soon as she was alone that dwarf came in, and
said, 'What will you give me to spin gold for you this third time?'
'I have nothing left,' said she. 'Then say you will give me,' said
the little man, 'the first little child that you may have when you are
queen.' 'That may never be,' thought the miller's daughter: and as she
knew no other way to get her task done, she said she would do what he
asked. Round went the wheel again to the old song, and the manikin once
more spun the heap into gold. The king came in the morning, and,
finding all he wanted, was forced to keep his word; so he married the
miller's daughter, and she really became queen.
At the birth of her first little child she was very glad, and forgot
the dwarf, and what she had said. But one day he came into her room,
where she was sitting playing with her baby, and put her in mind of
it. Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would
give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but
in vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, 'I will
give you three days' grace, and if during that time you tell me my
name, you shall keep your child.'
Now the queen lay awake all night, thinking of all the odd names that
she had ever heard; and she sent messengers all over the land to find
out new ones. The next day the little man came, and she began
with _Timothy, Ichabod, Benjamin, Jeremiah,_ and all the names she
could remember; but to all and each of them he said, 'Madam, that is
not my name.'
The second day she began with all the comical names she could hear
of, _Bandy-Legs, Hunchback, Crook-Shanks,_ and so on; but the little
gentleman still said to every one of them, 'Madam, that is not my name.'
The third day one of the messengers came back, and said, 'I have
travelled two days without hearing of any other names; but
yesterday, as I was climbing a high hill, among the trees of the
forest where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, I saw a
little hut; and before the hut burnt a fire; and round about the fire
a funny little dwarf was dancing upon one leg, and singing:
"Merrily the feast I'll make.
Today I'll brew, tomorrow bake;
Merrily I'll dance and sing,
For next day will a stranger bring.
Little does my lady dream
Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"'
When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her
little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her
court round to enjoy the fun; and the nurse stood by her side with
the baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up. Then
the little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor
child, to take home with him to his hut in the woods; and he cried
out, 'Now, lady, what is my name?' 'Is it _John?_' asked she. 'No,
madam!' 'Is it _Tom?_' 'No, madam!' 'Is it _Jemmy?_' 'It is not.'
'Can your name be _Rumpelstiltskin?_' said the lady slyly. 'Some
witch told you that!--some witch told you that!' cried the little
man, and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that
he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out.
Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the
baby crowed; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much
trouble for nothing, and said, 'We wish you a very good morning, and a
merry feast, Mr _Rumpelstiltskin!_'
Clever Gretel
There was once a cook named Gretel, who wore shoes with red heels,
and when she walked out with them on, she turned herself this way and
that, was quite happy and thought: 'You certainly are a pretty girl!'
And when she came home she drank, in her gladness of heart, a draught
of wine, and as wine excites a desire to eat, she tasted the best of
whatever she was cooking until she was satisfied, and said: 'The cook
must know what the food is like.'
It came to pass that the master one day said to her: 'Gretel, there is
a guest coming this evening; prepare me two fowls very daintily.' 'I
will see to it, master,' answered Gretel. She killed two fowls, scalded
them, plucked them, put them on the spit, and towards evening set them
before the fire, that they might roast. The fowls began to turn brown,
and were nearly ready, but the guest had not yet arrived. Then Gretel
called out to her master: 'If the guest does not come, I must take the
fowls away from the fire, but it will be a sin and a shame if they
are not eaten the moment they are at their juiciest.' The master
said: 'I will run myself, and fetch the guest.' When the master had
turned his back, Gretel laid the spit with the fowls on one side, and
thought: 'Standing so long by the fire there, makes one sweat and
thirsty; who knows when they will come? Meanwhile, I will run into
the cellar, and take a drink.' She ran down, set a jug, said: 'God
bless it for you, Gretel,' and took a good drink, and thought that
wine should flow on, and should not be interrupted, and took yet
another hearty draught.
Then she went and put the fowls down again to the fire, basted them,
and drove the spit merrily round. But as the roast meat smelt so good,
Gretel thought: 'Something might be wrong, it ought to be tasted!' She
touched it with her finger, and said: 'Ah! how good fowls are! It
certainly is a sin and a shame that they are not eaten at the right
time!' She ran to the window, to see if the master was not coming with
his guest, but she saw no one, and went back to the fowls and thought:
'One of the wings is burning! I had better take it off and eat it.'
So she cut it off, ate it, and enjoyed it, and when she had done,
she thought: 'The other must go down too, or else master will observe
that something is missing.' When the two wings were eaten, she went and
looked for her master, and did not see him. It suddenly occurred to
her: 'Who knows? They are perhaps not coming at all, and have turned
in somewhere.' Then she said: 'Well, Gretel, enjoy yourself, one fowl
has been cut into, take another drink, and eat it up entirely; when
it is eaten you will have some peace, why should God's good gifts be
spoilt?' So she ran into the cellar again, took an enormous drink and
ate up the one chicken in great glee. When one of the chickens was
swallowed down, and still her master did not come, Gretel looked at
the other and said: 'What one is, the other should be likewise, the
two go together; what's right for the one is right for the other; I
think if I were to take another draught it would do me no harm.' So she
took another hearty drink, and let the second chicken follow the first.
While she was making the most of it, her master came and cried: 'Hurry
up, Gretel, the guest is coming directly after me!' 'Yes, sir, I will
soon serve up,' answered Gretel. Meantime the master looked to see
what the table was properly laid, and took the great knife, wherewith
he was going to carve the chickens, and sharpened it on the steps.
Presently the guest came, and knocked politely and courteously at the
house-door. Gretel ran, and looked to see who was there, and when she
saw the guest, she put her finger to her lips and said: 'Hush! hush!
go away as quickly as you can, if my master catches you it will be the
worse for you; he certainly did ask you to supper, but his intention
is to cut off your two ears. Just listen how he is sharpening the
knife for it!' The guest heard the sharpening, and hurried down the
steps again as fast as he could. Gretel was not idle; she ran
screaming to her master, and cried: 'You have invited a fine
guest!' 'Why, Gretel? What do you mean by that?' 'Yes,' said she, 'he
has taken the chickens which I was just going to serve up, off the
dish, and has run away with them!' 'That's a nice trick!' said her
master, and lamented the fine chickens. 'If he had but left me one,
so that something remained for me to eat.' He called to him to stop, but
the guest pretended not to hear. Then he ran after him with the knife
still in his hand, crying: 'Just one, just one,' meaning that the
guest should leave him just one chicken, and not take both. The guest,
however, thought no otherwise than that he was to give up one of his
ears, and ran as if fire were burning under him, in order to take them
both with him.
The Old Man And His Grandson
There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dull
of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardly
hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it run
out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife were disgusted at this,
so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the
stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even
enough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes full
of tears. Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and
it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but he
said nothing and only sighed. Then they brought him a wooden bowl for a
few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.
They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years
old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. 'What
are you doing there?' asked the father. 'I am making a little
trough,' answered the child, 'for father and mother to eat out of when
I am big.'
The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently
began to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and
henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if he
did spill a little of anything.
The Little Peasant
There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich
peasants, and just one poor one, whom they called the little peasant.
He had not even so much as a cow, and still less money to buy one, and
yet he and his wife did so wish to have one. One day he said to her:
'Listen, I have a good idea, there is our gossip the carpenter, he
shall make us a wooden calf, and paint it brown, so that it looks like
any other, and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow.' the
woman also liked the idea, and their gossip the carpenter cut and
planed the calf, and painted it as it ought to be, and made it with
its head hanging down as if it were eating.
Next morning when the cows were being driven out, the little
peasant called the cow-herd in and said: 'Look, I have a little calf
there, but it is still small and has to be carried.' The cow-herd said:
'All right,' and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture,
and set it among the grass. The little calf always remained standing
like one which was eating, and the cow-herd said: 'It will soon run by
itself, just look how it eats already!' At night when he was going to
drive the herd home again, he said to the calf: 'If you can stand there
and eat your fill, you can also go on your four legs; I don't care to
drag you home again in my arms.' But the little peasant stood at his
door, and waited for his little calf, and when the cow-herd drove the
cows through the village, and the calf was missing, he inquired where it
was. The cow-herd answered: 'It is still standing out there eating. It
would not stop and come with us.' But the little peasant said: 'Oh, but
I must have my beast back again.' Then they went back to the meadow
together, but someone had stolen the calf, and it was gone. The cow-herd
said: 'It must have run away.' The peasant, however, said: 'Don't tell
me that,' and led the cow-herd before the mayor, who for his
carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf
which had run away.
And now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had
so long wished, and they were heartily glad, but they had no food for
it, and could give it nothing to eat, so it soon had to be killed. They
salted the flesh, and the peasant went into the town and wanted to
sell the skin there, so that he might buy a new calf with the
proceeds. On the way he passed by a mill, and there sat a raven with
broken wings, and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin.
But as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind,
he could go no farther, and turned back to the mill and begged for
shelter. The miller's wife was alone in the house, and said to the
peasant: 'Lay yourself on the straw there,' and gave him a slice of
bread and cheese. The peasant ate it, and lay down with his skin
beside him, and the woman thought: 'He is tired and has gone to sleep.'
In the meantime came the parson; the miller's wife received him well,
and said: 'My husband is out, so we will have a feast.' The peasant
listened, and when he heard them talk about feasting he was vexed that
he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and cheese. Then
the woman served up four different things, roast meat, salad, cakes, and
wine.
Just as they were about to sit down and eat, there was a knocking
outside. The woman said: 'Oh, heavens! It is my husband!' she quickly
hid the roast meat inside the tiled stove, the wine under the pillow,
the salad on the bed, the cakes under it, and the parson in the closet
on the porch. Then she opened the door for her husband, and said:
'Thank heaven, you are back again! There is such a storm, it looks as
if the world were coming to an end.' The miller saw the peasant lying
on the straw, and asked, 'What is that fellow doing there?' 'Ah,' said
the wife, 'the poor knave came in the storm and rain, and begged for
shelter, so I gave him a bit of bread and cheese, and showed him
where the straw was.' The man said: 'I have no objection, but be
quick and get me something to eat.' The woman said: 'But I have nothing
but bread and cheese.' 'I am contented with anything,' replied the
husband, 'so far as I am concerned, bread and cheese will do,' and
looked at the peasant and said: 'Come and eat some more with me.' The
peasant did not require to be invited twice, but got up and ate.
After this the miller saw the skin in which the raven was, lying on the
ground, and asked: 'What have you there?' The peasant answered:
'I have a soothsayer inside it.' 'Can he foretell anything to me?'
said the miller. 'Why not?' answered the peasant: 'but he only says
four things, and the fifth he keeps to himself.' The miller was
curious, and said: 'Let him foretell something for once.' Then the
peasant pinched the raven's head, so that he croaked and made a noise
like krr, krr. The miller said: 'What did he say?' The peasant
answered: 'In the first place, he says that there is some wine hidden
under the pillow.' 'Bless me!' cried the miller, and went there and
found the wine. 'Now go on,' said he. The peasant made the raven croak
again, and said: 'In the second place, he says that there is some
roast meat in the tiled stove.' 'Upon my word!' cried the miller, and
went thither, and found the roast meat. The peasant made the
raven prophesy still more, and said: 'Thirdly, he says that there is
some salad on the bed.' 'That would be a fine thing!' cried the
miller, and went there and found the salad. At last the peasant pinched
the raven once more till he croaked, and said: 'Fourthly, he says that
there are some cakes under the bed.' 'That would be a fine thing!'
cried the miller, and looked there, and found the cakes.
And now the two sat down to the table together, but the miller's wife
was frightened to death, and went to bed and took all the keys with
her. The miller would have liked much to know the fifth, but the
little peasant said: 'First, we will quickly eat the four things,
for the fifth is something bad.' So they ate, and after that they
bargained how much the miller was to give for the fifth prophecy,
until they agreed on three hundred talers. Then the peasant once more
pinched the raven's head till he croaked loudly. The miller asked:
'What did he say?' The peasant replied: 'He says that the Devil is
hiding outside there in the closet on the porch.' The miller said:
'The Devil must go out,' and opened the house-door; then the woman
was forced to give up the keys, and the peasant unlocked the closet.
The parson ran out as fast as he could, and the miller said: 'It
was true; I saw the black rascal with my own eyes.' The peasant,
however, made off next morning by daybreak with the three hundred
talers.
At home the small peasant gradually launched out; he built a
beautiful house, and the peasants said: 'The small peasant has certainly
been to the place where golden snow falls, and people carry the gold
home in shovels.' Then the small peasant was brought before the mayor,
and bidden to say from whence his wealth came. He answered: 'I sold
my cow's skin in the town, for three hundred talers.' When the
peasants heard that, they too wished to enjoy this great profit, and
ran home, killed all their cows, and stripped off their skins in
order to sell them in the town to the greatest advantage. The mayor,
however, said: 'But my servant must go first.' When she came to the
merchant in the town, he did not give her more than two talers for a
skin, and when the others came, he did not give them so much, and said:
'What can I do with all these skins?'
Then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have
thus outwitted them, wanted to take vengeance on him, and accused him
of this treachery before the major. The innocent little peasant was
unanimously sentenced to death, and was to be rolled into the water,
in a barrel pierced full of holes. He was led forth, and a priest was
brought who was to say a mass for his soul. The others were all
obliged to retire to a distance, and when the peasant looked at the
priest, he recognized the man who had been with the miller's wife. He
said to him: 'I set you free from the closet, set me free from the
barrel.' At this same moment up came, with a flock of sheep, the very
shepherd whom the peasant knew had long been wishing to be mayor, so
he cried with all his might: 'No, I will not do it; if the whole world
insists on it, I will not do it!' The shepherd hearing that, came up
to him, and asked: 'What are you about? What is it that you will not
do?' The peasant said: 'They want to make me mayor, if I will but put
myself in the barrel, but I will not do it.' The shepherd said: 'If
nothing more than that is needful in order to be mayor, I would get
into the barrel at once.' The peasant said: 'If you will get in, you
will be mayor.' The shepherd was willing, and got in, and the peasant
shut the top down on him; then he took the shepherd's flock for
himself, and drove it away. The parson went to the crowd, and
declared that the mass had been said. Then they came and rolled the
barrel towards the water. When the barrel began to roll, the shepherd
cried: 'I am quite willing to be mayor.' They believed no otherwise
than that it was the peasant who was saying this, and answered: 'That
is what we intend, but first you shall look about you a little down
below there,' and they rolled the barrel down into the water.
After that the peasants went home, and as they were entering the
village, the small peasant also came quietly in, driving a flock of
sheep and looking quite contented. Then the peasants were
astonished, and said: 'Peasant, from whence do you come? Have you come
out of the water?' 'Yes, truly,' replied the peasant, 'I sank deep,
deep down, until at last I got to the bottom; I pushed the bottom out
of the barrel, and crept out, and there were pretty meadows on which
a number of lambs were feeding, and from thence I brought this flock
away with me.' Said the peasants: 'Are there any more there?' 'Oh,
yes,' said he, 'more than I could want.' Then the peasants made up
their minds that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves, a
flock apiece, but the mayor said: 'I come first.' So they went to the
water together, and just then there were some of the small fleecy
clouds in the blue sky, which are called little lambs, and they were
reflected in the water, whereupon the peasants cried: 'We already see
the sheep down below!' The mayor pressed forward and said: 'I will go
down first, and look about me, and if things promise well I'll call
you.' So he jumped in; splash! went the water; it sounded as if he were
calling them, and the whole crowd plunged in after him as one man.
Then the entire village was dead, and the small peasant, as sole heir,
became a rich man.
Frederick And Catherine
There was once a man called Frederick: he had a wife whose name
was Catherine, and they had not long been married. One day Frederick
said. 'Kate! I am going to work in the fields; when I come back I
shall be hungry so let me have something nice cooked, and a good
draught of ale.' 'Very well,' said she, 'it shall all be ready.'
When dinner-time drew nigh, Catherine took a nice steak, which was all
the meat she had, and put it on the fire to fry. The steak soon began to
look brown, and to crackle in the pan; and Catherine stood by with a
fork and turned it: then she said to herself, 'The steak is almost
ready, I may as well go to the cellar for the ale.' So she left the
pan on the fire and took a large jug and went into the cellar and
tapped the ale cask. The beer ran into the jug and Catherine stood
looking on. At last it popped into her head, 'The dog is not shut
up--he may be running away with the steak; that's well thought of.'
So up she ran from the cellar; and sure enough the rascally cur had
got the steak in his mouth, and was making off with it.
Away ran Catherine, and away ran the dog across the field: but he
ran faster than she, and stuck close to the steak. 'It's all gone, and
"what can't be cured must be endured",' said Catherine. So she turned
round; and as she had run a good way and was tired, she walked home
leisurely to cool herself.
Now all this time the ale was running too, for Catherine had not
turned the cock; and when the jug was full the liquor ran upon the floor
till the cask was empty. When she got to the cellar stairs she saw
what had happened. 'My stars!' said she, 'what shall I do to keep
Frederick from seeing all this slopping about?' So she thought a
while; and at last remembered that there was a sack of fine meal
bought at the last fair, and that if she sprinkled this over the floor
it would suck up the ale nicely. 'What a lucky thing,' said she, 'that
we kept that meal! we have now a good use for it.' So away she went
for it: but she managed to set it down just upon the great jug full of
beer, and upset it; and thus all the ale that had been saved was set
swimming on the floor also. 'Ah! well,' said she, 'when one goes
another may as well follow.' Then she strewed the meal all about the
cellar, and was quite pleased with her cleverness, and said, 'How very
neat and clean it looks!'
At noon Frederick came home. 'Now, wife,' cried he, 'what have you
for dinner?' 'O Frederick!' answered she, 'I was cooking you a
steak; but while I went down to draw the ale, the dog ran away with
it; and while I ran after him, the ale ran out; and when I went to dry
up the ale with the sack of meal that we got at the fair, I upset the
jug: but the cellar is now quite dry, and looks so clean!' 'Kate,
Kate,' said he, 'how could you do all this? Why did you leave the steak
to fry, and the ale to run, and then spoil all the meal?' 'Why,
Frederick,' said she, 'I did not know I was doing wrong; you should
have told me before.'
The husband thought to himself, 'If my wife manages matters thus, I
must look sharp myself.' Now he had a good deal of gold in the house:
so he said to Catherine, 'What pretty yellow buttons these are! I shall
put them into a box and bury them in the garden; but take care that
you never go near or meddle with them.' 'No, Frederick,' said she,
'that I never will.' As soon as he was gone, there came by some pedlars
with earthenware plates and dishes, and they asked her whether she
would buy. 'Oh dear me, I should like to buy very much, but I have no
money: if you had any use for yellow buttons, I might deal with you.'
'Yellow buttons!' said they: 'let us have a look at them.' 'Go into the
garden and dig where I tell you, and you will find the yellow buttons:
I dare not go myself.' So the rogues went: and when they found what
these yellow buttons were, they took them all away, and left her plenty
of plates and dishes. Then she set them all about the house for a
show: and when Frederick came back, he cried out, 'Kate, what have
you been doing?' 'See,' said she, 'I have bought all these with
your yellow buttons: but I did not touch them myself; the pedlars
went themselves and dug them up.' 'Wife, wife,' said Frederick, 'what
a pretty piece of work you have made! those yellow buttons were all my
money: how came you to do such a thing?' 'Why,' answered she, 'I did
not know there was any harm in it; you should have told me.'
Catherine stood musing for a while, and at last said to her husband,
'Hark ye, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back: let us run
after the thieves.' 'Well, we will try,' answered he; 'but take
some butter and cheese with you, that we may have something to eat
by the way.' 'Very well,' said she; and they set out: and as Frederick
walked the fastest, he left his wife some way behind. 'It does not
matter,' thought she: 'when we turn back, I shall be so much nearer home
than he.'
Presently she came to the top of a hill, down the side of which there
was a road so narrow that the cart wheels always chafed the trees on
each side as they passed. 'Ah, see now,' said she, 'how they have
bruised and wounded those poor trees; they will never get well.' So
she took pity on them, and made use of the butter to grease them all,
so that the wheels might not hurt them so much. While she was doing
this kind office one of her cheeses fell out of the basket, and
rolled down the hill. Catherine looked, but could not see where it had
gone; so she said, 'Well, I suppose the other will go the same way and
find you; he has younger legs than I have.' Then she rolled the other
cheese after it; and away it went, nobody knows where, down the hill.
But she said she supposed that they knew the road, and would follow
her, and she could not stay there all day waiting for them.
At last she overtook Frederick, who desired her to give him something
to eat. Then she gave him the dry bread. 'Where are the butter and
cheese?' said he. 'Oh!' answered she, 'I used the butter to grease those
poor trees that the wheels chafed so: and one of the cheeses ran away
so I sent the other after it to find it, and I suppose they are
both on the road together somewhere.' 'What a goose you are to do such
silly things!' said the husband. 'How can you say so?' said she; 'I am
sure you never told me not.'
They ate the dry bread together; and Frederick said, 'Kate, I hope
you locked the door safe when you came away.' 'No,' answered she, 'you
did not tell me.' 'Then go home, and do it now before we go any
farther,' said Frederick, 'and bring with you something to eat.'
Catherine did as he told her, and thought to herself by the
way, 'Frederick wants something to eat; but I don't think he is very
fond of butter and cheese: I'll bring him a bag of fine nuts, and the
vinegar, for I have often seen him take some.'
When she reached home, she bolted the back door, but the front door
she took off the hinges, and said, 'Frederick told me to lock the
door, but surely it can nowhere be so safe if I take it with me.' So
she took her time by the way; and when she overtook her husband she
cried out, 'There, Frederick, there is the door itself, you may watch
it as carefully as you please.' 'Alas! alas!' said he, 'what a clever
wife I have! I sent you to make the house fast, and you take the door
away, so that everybody may go in and out as they please--however, as
you have brought the door, you shall carry it about with you for your
pains.' 'Very well,' answered she, 'I'll carry the door; but I'll not
carry the nuts and vinegar bottle also--that would be too much of a
load; so if you please, I'll fasten them to the door.'
Frederick of course made no objection to that plan, and they set off
into the wood to look for the thieves; but they could not find them:
and when it grew dark, they climbed up into a tree to spend the
night there. Scarcely were they up, than who should come by but the
very rogues they were looking for. They were in truth great rascals,
and belonged to that class of people who find things before they are
lost; they were tired; so they sat down and made a fire under the
very tree where Frederick and Catherine were. Frederick slipped down
on the other side, and picked up some stones. Then he climbed up
again, and tried to hit the thieves on the head with them: but they only
said, 'It must be near morning, for the wind shakes the fir-apples
down.'
Catherine, who had the door on her shoulder, began to be very tired;
but she thought it was the nuts upon it that were so heavy: so she
said softly, 'Frederick, I must let the nuts go.' 'No,' answered he,
'not now, they will discover us.' 'I can't help that: they must go.'
'Well, then, make haste and throw them down, if you will.' Then away
rattled the nuts down among the boughs and one of the thieves
cried, 'Bless me, it is hailing.'
A little while after, Catherine thought the door was still very heavy:
so she whispered to Frederick, 'I must throw the vinegar down.' 'Pray
don't,' answered he, 'it will discover us.' 'I can't help that,' said
she, 'go it must.' So she poured all the vinegar down; and the thieves
said, 'What a heavy dew there is!'
At last it popped into Catherine's head that it was the door itself
that was so heavy all the time: so she whispered, 'Frederick, I must
throw the door down soon.' But he begged and prayed her not to do
so, for he was sure it would betray them. 'Here goes, however,' said
she: and down went the door with such a clatter upon the thieves,
that they cried out 'Murder!' and not knowing what was coming, ran
away as fast as they could, and left all the gold. So when Frederick
and Catherine came down, there they found all their money safe and
sound.
Sweetheart Roland
There was once upon a time a woman who was a real witch and had
two daughters, one ugly and wicked, and this one she loved because she
was her own daughter, and one beautiful and good, and this one she
hated, because she was her stepdaughter. The stepdaughter once had a
pretty apron, which the other fancied so much that she became
envious, and told her mother that she must and would have that apron.
'Be quiet, my child,' said the old woman, 'and you shall have it.
Your stepsister has long deserved death; tonight when she is asleep I
will come and cut her head off. Only be careful that you are at the far
side of the bed, and push her well to the front.' It would have been
all over with the poor girl if she had not just then been standing in
a corner, and heard everything. All day long she dared not go out of
doors, and when bedtime had come, the witch's daughter got into bed
first, so as to lie at the far side, but when she was asleep, the
other pushed her gently to the front, and took for herself the place at
the back, close by the wall. In the night, the old woman came creeping
in, she held an axe in her right hand, and felt with her left to see if
anyone were lying at the outside, and then she grasped the axe with both
hands, and cut her own child's head off.
When she had gone away, the girl got up and went to her sweetheart,
who was called Roland, and knocked at his door. When he came out, she
said to him: 'Listen, dearest Roland, we must fly in all haste; my
stepmother wanted to kill me, but has struck her own child. When
daylight comes, and she sees what she has done, we shall be lost.'
'But,' said Roland, 'I counsel you first to take away her magic wand,
or we cannot escape if she pursues us.' The maiden fetched the magic
wand, and she took the dead girl's head and dropped three drops of
blood on the ground, one in front of the bed, one in the kitchen, and
one on the stairs. Then she hurried away with her lover.
When the old witch got up next morning, she called her daughter,
and wanted to give her the apron, but she did not come. Then the witch
cried: 'Where are you?' 'Here, on the stairs, I am sweeping,' answered
the first drop of blood. The old woman went out, but saw no one on the
stairs, and cried again: 'Where are you?' 'Here in the kitchen, I am
warming myself,' cried the second drop of blood. She went into the
kitchen, but found no one. Then she cried again: 'Where are you?'
'Ah, here in the bed, I am sleeping,' cried the third drop of blood.
She went into the room to the bed. What did she see there? Her own
child, whose head she had cut off, bathed in her blood. The witch fell
into a passion, sprang to the window, and as she could look forth
quite far into the world, she perceived her stepdaughter hurrying away
with her sweetheart Roland. 'That shall not help you,' cried she,
'even if you have got a long way off, you shall still not escape
me.' She put on her many-league boots, in which she covered an
hour's walk at every step, and it was not long before she overtook
them. The girl, however, when she saw the old woman striding
towards her, changed, with her magic wand, her sweetheart Roland into
a lake, and herself into a duck swimming in the middle of it. The
witch placed herself on the shore, threw breadcrumbs in, and went to
endless trouble to entice the duck; but the duck did not let herself be
enticed, and the old woman had to go home at night as she had come.
At this the girl and her sweetheart Roland resumed their natural
shapes again, and they walked on the whole night until daybreak. Then
the maiden changed herself into a beautiful flower which stood in the
midst of a briar hedge, and her sweetheart Roland into a fiddler. It was
not long before the witch came striding up towards them, and said to
the musician: 'Dear musician, may I pluck that beautiful flower for
myself?' 'Oh, yes,' he replied, 'I will play to you while you do it.'
As she was hastily creeping into the hedge and was just going to
pluck the flower, knowing perfectly well who the flower was, he began
to play, and whether she would or not, she was forced to dance, for
it was a magical dance. The faster he played, the more violent
springs was she forced to make, and the thorns tore her clothes
from her body, and pricked her and wounded her till she bled, and as he
did not stop, she had to dance till she lay dead on the ground.
As they were now set free, Roland said: 'Now I will go to my father
and arrange for the wedding.' 'Then in the meantime I will stay here and
wait for you,' said the girl, 'and that no one may recognize me, I will
change myself into a red stone landmark.' Then Roland went away, and
the girl stood like a red landmark in the field and waited for her
beloved. But when Roland got home, he fell into the snares of
another, who so fascinated him that he forgot the maiden. The poor
girl remained there a long time, but at length, as he did not return
at all, she was sad, and changed herself into a flower, and thought:
'Someone will surely come this way, and trample me down.'
It befell, however, that a shepherd kept his sheep in the field and
saw the flower, and as it was so pretty, plucked it, took it with
him, and laid it away in his chest. From that time forth, strange
things happened in the shepherd's house. When he arose in the
morning, all the work was already done, the room was swept, the table
and benches cleaned, the fire in the hearth was lighted, and the water
was fetched, and at noon, when he came home, the table was laid, and a
good dinner served. He could not conceive how this came to pass, for
he never saw a human being in his house, and no one could have
concealed himself in it. He was certainly pleased with this good
attendance, but still at last he was so afraid that he went to a wise
woman and asked for her advice. The wise woman said: 'There is some
enchantment behind it, listen very early some morning if anything is
moving in the room, and if you see anything, no matter what it is, throw
a white cloth over it, and then the magic will be stopped.'
The shepherd did as she bade him, and next morning just as day dawned,
he saw the chest open, and the flower come out. Swiftly he sprang
towards it, and threw a white cloth over it. Instantly the
transformation came to an end, and a beautiful girl stood before him,
who admitted to him that she had been the flower, and that up to this
time she had attended to his house-keeping. She told him her story,
and as she pleased him he asked her if she would marry him, but she
answered: 'No,' for she wanted to remain faithful to her sweetheart
Roland, although he had deserted her. Nevertheless, she promised
not to go away, but to continue keeping house for the shepherd.
And now the time drew near when Roland's wedding was to be celebrated,
and then, according to an old custom in the country, it was announced
that all the girls were to be present at it, and sing in honour of the
bridal pair. When the faithful maiden heard of this, she grew so sad
that she thought her heart would break, and she would not go thither,
but the other girls came and took her. When it came to her turn to
sing, she stepped back, until at last she was the only one left, and
then she could not refuse. But when she began her song, and it reached
Roland's ears, he sprang up and cried: 'I know the voice, that is
the true bride, I will have no other!' Everything he had forgotten,
and which had vanished from his mind, had suddenly come home again to
his heart. Then the faithful maiden held her wedding with her
sweetheart Roland, and grief came to an end and joy began.
Snowdrop
It was the middle of winter, when the broad flakes of snow were
falling around, that the queen of a country many thousand miles off sat
working at her window. The frame of the window was made of fine black
ebony, and as she sat looking out upon the snow, she pricked her
finger, and three drops of blood fell upon it. Then she gazed
thoughtfully upon the red drops that sprinkled the white snow, and said,
'Would that my little daughter may be as white as that snow, as red as
that blood, and as black as this ebony windowframe!' And so the little
girl really did grow up; her skin was as white as snow, her cheeks as
rosy as the blood, and her hair as black as ebony; and she was called
Snowdrop.
But this queen died; and the king soon married another wife, who
became queen, and was very beautiful, but so vain that she could not
bear to think that anyone could be handsomer than she was. She
had a fairy looking-glass, to which she used to go, and then she
would gaze upon herself in it, and say:
'Tell me, glass, tell me true!
Of all the ladies in the land,
Who is fairest, tell me, who?'
And the glass had always answered:
'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all the land.'
But Snowdrop grew more and more beautiful; and when she was seven
years old she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen
herself. Then the glass one day answered the queen, when she went
to look in it as usual:
'Thou, queen, art fair, and beauteous to see,
But Snowdrop is lovelier far than thee!'
When she heard this she turned pale with rage and envy, and called to
one of her servants, and said, 'Take Snowdrop away into the wide wood,
that I may never see her any more.' Then the servant led her away; but
his heart melted when Snowdrop begged him to spare her life, and he
said, 'I will not hurt you, thou pretty child.' So he left her by
herself; and though he thought it most likely that the wild beasts
would tear her in pieces, he felt as if a great weight were taken off
his heart when he had made up his mind not to kill her but to leave
her to her fate, with the chance of someone finding and saving her.
Then poor Snowdrop wandered along through the wood in great fear; and
the wild beasts roared about her, but none did her any harm. In the
evening she came to a cottage among the hills, and went in to rest, for
her little feet would carry her no further. Everything was spruce and
neat in the cottage: on the table was spread a white cloth, and
there were seven little plates, seven little loaves, and seven little
glasses with wine in them; and seven knives and forks laid in order;
and by the wall stood seven little beds. As she was very hungry, she
picked a little piece of each loaf and drank a very little wine out of
each glass; and after that she thought she would lie down and rest. So
she tried all the little beds; but one was too long, and another was too
short, till at last the seventh suited her: and there she laid herself
down and went to sleep.
By and by in came the masters of the cottage. Now they were seven
little dwarfs, that lived among the mountains, and dug and searched
for gold. They lighted up their seven lamps, and saw at once that all
was not right. The first said, 'Who has been sitting on my stool?' The
second, 'Who has been eating off my plate?' The third, 'Who has been
picking my bread?' The fourth, 'Who has been meddling with my spoon?'
The fifth, 'Who has been handling my fork?' The sixth, 'Who has been
cutting with my knife?' The seventh, 'Who has been drinking my wine?'
Then the first looked round and said, 'Who has been lying on my bed?'
And the rest came running to him, and everyone cried out that
somebody had been upon his bed. But the seventh saw Snowdrop, and
called all his brethren to come and see her; and they cried out with
wonder and astonishment and brought their lamps to look at her, and
said, 'Good heavens! what a lovely child she is!' And they were very
glad to see her, and took care not to wake her; and the seventh
dwarf slept an hour with each of the other dwarfs in turn, till the
night was gone.
In the morning Snowdrop told them all her story; and they pitied her,
and said if she would keep all things in order, and cook and wash and
knit and spin for them, she might stay where she was, and they would
take good care of her. Then they went out all day long to their work,
seeking for gold and silver in the mountains: but Snowdrop was left
at home; and they warned her, and said, 'The queen will soon find out
where you are, so take care and let no one in.'
But the queen, now that she thought Snowdrop was dead, believed that
she must be the handsomest lady in the land; and she went to her
glass and said:
'Tell me, glass, tell me true!
Of all the ladies in the land,
Who is fairest, tell me, who?'
And the glass answered:
'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all this land:
But over the hills, in the greenwood shade,
Where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made,
There Snowdrop is hiding her head; and she
Is lovelier far, O queen! than thee.'
Then the queen was very much frightened; for she knew that the
glass always spoke the truth, and was sure that the servant had
betrayed her. And she could not bear to think that anyone lived who
was more beautiful than she was; so she dressed herself up as an old
pedlar, and went her way over the hills, to the place where the dwarfs
dwelt. Then she knocked at the door, and cried, 'Fine wares to sell!'
Snowdrop looked out at the window, and said, 'Good day, good woman!
what have you to sell?' 'Good wares, fine wares,' said she; 'laces and
bobbins of all colours.' 'I will let the old lady in; she seems to be
a very good sort of body,' thought Snowdrop, as she ran down and
unbolted the door. 'Bless me!' said the old woman, 'how badly your
stays are laced! Let me lace them up with one of my nice new laces.'
Snowdrop did not dream of any mischief; so she stood before the old
woman; but she set to work so nimbly, and pulled the lace so tight,
that Snowdrop's breath was stopped, and she fell down as if she were
dead. 'There's an end to all thy beauty,' said the spiteful queen,
and went away home.
In the evening the seven dwarfs came home; and I need not say how
grieved they were to see their faithful Snowdrop stretched out upon the
ground, as if she was quite dead. However, they lifted her up, and
when they found what ailed her, they cut the lace; and in a little
time she began to breathe, and very soon came to life again. Then they
said, 'The old woman was the queen herself; take care another time,
and let no one in when we are away.'
When the queen got home, she went straight to her glass, and spoke to
it as before; but to her great grief it still said:
'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all this land:
But over the hills, in the greenwood shade,
Where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made,
There Snowdrop is hiding her head; and she
Is lovelier far, O queen! than thee.'
Then the blood ran cold in her heart with spite and malice, to see
that Snowdrop still lived; and she dressed herself up again, but in
quite another dress from the one she wore before, and took with her a
poisoned comb. When she reached the dwarfs' cottage, she knocked at the
door, and cried, 'Fine wares to sell!' But Snowdrop said, 'I dare
not let anyone in.' Then the queen said, 'Only look at my beautiful
combs!' and gave her the poisoned one. And it looked so pretty, that
she took it up and put it into her hair to try it; but the moment it
touched her head, the poison was so powerful that she fell down
senseless. 'There you may lie,' said the queen, and went her way.
But by good luck the dwarfs came in very early that evening; and when
they saw Snowdrop lying on the ground, they thought what had happened,
and soon found the poisoned comb. And when they took it away she got
well, and told them all that had passed; and they warned her once
more not to open the door to anyone.
Meantime the queen went home to her glass, and shook with rage when
she read the very same answer as before; and she said, 'Snowdrop shall
die, if it cost me my life.' So she went by herself into her
chamber, and got ready a poisoned apple: the outside looked very rosy
and tempting, but whoever tasted it was sure to die. Then she
dressed herself up as a peasant's wife, and travelled over the hills
to the dwarfs' cottage, and knocked at the door; but Snowdrop put her
head out of the window and said, 'I dare not let anyone in, for the
dwarfs have told me not.' 'Do as you please,' said the old woman,
'but at any rate take this pretty apple; I will give it you.' 'No,'
said Snowdrop, 'I dare not take it.' 'You silly girl!' answered the
other, 'what are you afraid of? Do you think it is poisoned? Come!
do you eat one part, and I will eat the other.' Now the apple was so
made up that one side was good, though the other side was poisoned.
Then Snowdrop was much tempted to taste, for the apple looked so very
nice; and when she saw the old woman eat, she could wait no longer.
But she had scarcely put the piece into her mouth, when she fell down
dead upon the ground. 'This time nothing will save thee,' said the
queen; and she went home to her glass, and at last it said:
'Thou, queen, art the fairest of all the fair.'
And then her wicked heart was glad, and as happy as such a heart could
be.
When evening came, and the dwarfs had gone home, they found Snowdrop
lying on the ground: no breath came from her lips, and they were afraid
that she was quite dead. They lifted her up, and combed her hair, and
washed her face with wine and water; but all was in vain, for the
little girl seemed quite dead. So they laid her down upon a bier, and
all seven watched and bewailed her three whole days; and then they
thought they would bury her: but her cheeks were still rosy; and her
face looked just as it did while she was alive; so they said, 'We will
never bury her in the cold ground.' And they made a coffin of glass, so
that they might still look at her, and wrote upon it in golden letters
what her name was, and that she was a king's daughter. And the coffin
was set among the hills, and one of the dwarfs always sat by it and
watched. And the birds of the air came too, and bemoaned Snowdrop; and
first of all came an owl, and then a raven, and at last a dove, and sat
by her side.
And thus Snowdrop lay for a long, long time, and still only looked
as though she was asleep; for she was even now as white as snow, and as
red as blood, and as black as ebony. At last a prince came and called
at the dwarfs' house; and he saw Snowdrop, and read what was written
in golden letters. Then he offered the dwarfs money, and prayed and
besought them to let him take her away; but they said, 'We will not
part with her for all the gold in the world.' At last, however, they
had pity on him, and gave him the coffin; but the moment he lifted it
up to carry it home with him, the piece of apple fell from between
her lips, and Snowdrop awoke, and said, 'Where am I?' And the prince
said, 'Thou art quite safe with me.'
Then he told her all that had happened, and said, 'I love you far
better than all the world; so come with me to my father's palace, and
you shall be my wife.' And Snowdrop consented, and went home with the
prince; and everything was got ready with great pomp and splendour for
their wedding.
To the feast was asked, among the rest, Snowdrop's old enemy the
queen; and as she was dressing herself in fine rich clothes, she
looked in the glass and said:
'Tell me, glass, tell me true!
Of all the ladies in the land,
Who is fairest, tell me, who?'
And the glass answered:
'Thou, lady, art loveliest here, I ween;
But lovelier far is the new-made queen.'
When she heard this she started with rage; but her envy and curiosity
were so great, that she could not help setting out to see the bride.
And when she got there, and saw that it was no other than Snowdrop,
who, as she thought, had been dead a long while, she choked with rage,
and fell down and died: but Snowdrop and the prince lived and reigned
happily over that land many, many years; and sometimes they went up
into the mountains, and paid a visit to the little dwarfs, who had been
so kind to Snowdrop in her time of need.
The Pink
There was once upon a time a queen to whom God had given no
children. Every morning she went into the garden and prayed to God
in heaven to bestow on her a son or a daughter. Then an angel from
heaven came to her and said: 'Be at rest, you shall have a son with the
power of wishing, so that whatsoever in the world he wishes for, that
shall he have.' Then she went to the king, and told him the joyful
tidings, and when the time was come she gave birth to a son, and the
king was filled with gladness.
Every morning she went with the child to the garden where the wild
beasts were kept, and washed herself there in a clear stream. It
happened once when the child was a little older, that it was lying in
her arms and she fell asleep. Then came the old cook, who knew that the
child had the power of wishing, and stole it away, and he took a hen,
and cut it in pieces, and dropped some of its blood on the queen's
apron and on her dress. Then he carried the child away to a secret
place, where a nurse was obliged to suckle it, and he ran to the king
and accused the queen of having allowed her child to be taken from her
by the wild beasts. When the king saw the blood on her apron, he
believed this, fell into such a passion that he ordered a high tower
to be built, in which neither sun nor moon could be seen and had his
wife put into it, and walled up. Here she was to stay for seven years
without meat or drink, and die of hunger. But God sent two angels
from heaven in the shape of white doves, which flew to her twice a day,
and carried her food until the seven years were over.
The cook, however, thought to himself: 'If the child has the power
of wishing, and I am here, he might very easily get me into trouble.'
So he left the palace and went to the boy, who was already big enough
to speak, and said to him: 'Wish for a beautiful palace for yourself
with a garden, and all else that pertains to it.' Scarcely were the
words out of the boy's mouth, when everything was there that he had
wished for. After a while the cook said to him: 'It is not well for
you to be so alone, wish for a pretty girl as a companion.' Then the
king's son wished for one, and she immediately stood before him, and was
more beautiful than any painter could have painted her. The two played
together, and loved each other with all their hearts, and the old cook
went out hunting like a nobleman. The thought occurred to him, however,
that the king's son might some day wish to be with his father, and thus
bring him into great peril. So he went out and took the maiden aside,
and said: 'Tonight when the boy is asleep, go to his bed and plunge
this knife into his heart, and bring me his heart and tongue, and if
you do not do it, you shall lose your life.' Thereupon he went away,
and when he returned next day she had not done it, and said: 'Why should
I shed the blood of an innocent boy who has never harmed anyone?'
The cook once more said: 'If you do not do it, it shall cost you your
own life.' When he had gone away, she had a little hind brought to
her, and ordered her to be killed, and took her heart and tongue, and
laid them on a plate, and when she saw the old man coming, she said to
the boy: 'Lie down in your bed, and draw the clothes over you.' Then
the wicked wretch came in and said: 'Where are the boy's heart and
tongue?' The girl reached the plate to him, but the king's son threw
off the quilt, and said: 'You old sinner, why did you want to kill
me? Now will I pronounce thy sentence. You shall become a black poodle
and have a gold collar round your neck, and shall eat burning coals,
till the flames burst forth from your throat.' And when he had spoken
these words, the old man was changed into a poodle dog, and had a
gold collar round his neck, and the cooks were ordered to bring up
some live coals, and these he ate, until the flames broke forth from
his throat. The king's son remained there a short while longer, and he
thought of his mother, and wondered if she were still alive. At length
he said to the maiden: 'I will go home to my own country; if you will go
with me, I will provide for you.' 'Ah,' she replied, 'the way is so
long, and what shall I do in a strange land where I am unknown?' As she
did not seem quite willing, and as they could not be parted from each
other, he wished that she might be changed into a beautiful pink, and
took her with him. Then he went away to his own country, and the
poodle had to run after him. He went to the tower in which his
mother was confined, and as it was so high, he wished for a ladder
which would reach up to the very top. Then he mounted up and looked
inside, and cried: 'Beloved mother, Lady Queen, are you still alive,
or are you dead?' She answered: 'I have just eaten, and am still
satisfied,' for she thought the angels were there. Said he: 'I am your
dear son, whom the wild beasts were said to have torn from your arms;
but I am alive still, and will soon set you free.' Then he descended
again, and went to his father, and caused himself to be announced as
a strange huntsman, and asked if he could offer him service. The king
said yes, if he was skilful and could get game for him, he should
come to him, but that deer had never taken up their quarters in
any part of the district or country. Then the huntsman promised
to procure as much game for him as he could possibly use at the royal
table. So he summoned all the huntsmen together, and bade them go out
into the forest with him. And he went with them and made them form a
great circle, open at one end where he stationed himself, and began
to wish. Two hundred deer and more came running inside the circle at
once, and the huntsmen shot them. Then they were all placed on sixty
country carts, and driven home to the king, and for once he was able to
deck his table with game, after having had none at all for years.
Now the king felt great joy at this, and commanded that his
entire household should eat with him next day, and made a great feast.
When they were all assembled together, he said to the huntsman: 'As
you are so clever, you shall sit by me.' He replied: 'Lord King, your
majesty must excuse me, I am a poor huntsman.' But the king insisted
on it, and said: 'You shall sit by me,' until he did it. Whilst he
was sitting there, he thought of his dearest mother, and wished that
one of the king's principal servants would begin to speak of her, and
would ask how it was faring with the queen in the tower, and if she
were alive still, or had perished. Hardly had he formed the wish
than the marshal began, and said: 'Your majesty, we live joyously
here, but how is the queen living in the tower? Is she still alive, or
has she died?' But the king replied: 'She let my dear son be torn to
pieces by wild beasts; I will not have her named.' Then the huntsman
arose and said: 'Gracious lord father she is alive still, and I am
her son, and I was not carried away by wild beasts, but by that wretch
the old cook, who tore me from her arms when she was asleep, and
sprinkled her apron with the blood of a chicken.' Thereupon he took
the dog with the golden collar, and said: 'That is the wretch!' and
caused live coals to be brought, and these the dog was compelled to
devour before the sight of all, until flames burst forth from its
throat. On this the huntsman asked the king if he would like to see the
dog in his true shape, and wished him back into the form of the cook,
in the which he stood immediately, with his white apron, and his
knife by his side. When the king saw him he fell into a passion, and
ordered him to be cast into the deepest dungeon. Then the huntsman
spoke further and said: 'Father, will you see the maiden who brought me
up so tenderly and who was afterwards to murder me, but did not do it,
though her own life depended on it?' The king replied: 'Yes, I would
like to see her.' The son said: 'Most gracious father, I will show her
to you in the form of a beautiful flower,' and he thrust his hand into
his pocket and brought forth the pink, and placed it on the royal
table, and it was so beautiful that the king had never seen one to
equal it. Then the son said: 'Now will I show her to you in her own
form,' and wished that she might become a maiden, and she stood
there looking so beautiful that no painter could have made her look more
so.
And the king sent two waiting-maids and two attendants into the tower,
to fetch the queen and bring her to the royal table. But when she was
led in she ate nothing, and said: 'The gracious and merciful God
who has supported me in the tower, will soon set me free.' She lived
three days more, and then died happily, and when she was buried, the
two white doves which had brought her food to the tower, and were
angels of heaven, followed her body and seated themselves on her
grave. The aged king ordered the cook to be torn in four pieces, but
grief consumed the king's own heart, and he soon died. His son married
the beautiful maiden whom he had brought with him as a flower in his
pocket, and whether they are still alive or not, is known to God.
Clever Elsie
There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie.
And when she had grown up her father said: 'We will get her married.'
'Yes,' said the mother, 'if only someone would come who would have
her.' At length a man came from a distance and wooed her, who was
called Hans; but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be really
smart. 'Oh,' said the father, 'she has plenty of good sense'; and the
mother said: 'Oh, she can see the wind coming up the street, and hear
the flies coughing.' 'Well,' said Hans, 'if she is not really smart, I
won't have her.' When they were sitting at dinner and had eaten, the
mother said: 'Elsie, go into the cellar and fetch some beer.' Then
Clever Elsie took the pitcher from the wall, went into the cellar, and
tapped the lid briskly as she went, so that the time might not
appear long. When she was below she fetched herself a chair, and
set it before the barrel so that she had no need to stoop, and did not
hurt her back or do herself any unexpected injury. Then she placed the
can before her, and turned the tap, and while the beer was running she
would not let her eyes be idle, but looked up at the wall, and after
much peering here and there, saw a pick-axe exactly above her, which the
masons had accidentally left there.
Then Clever Elsie began to weep and said: 'If I get Hans, and we have
a child, and he grows big, and we send him into the cellar here to
draw beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him.' Then
she sat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body,
over the misfortune which lay before her. Those upstairs waited for the
drink, but Clever Elsie still did not come. Then the woman said to the
servant: 'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is.' The
maid went and found her sitting in front of the barrel, screaming
loudly. 'Elsie why do you weep?' asked the maid. 'Ah,' she answered,
'have I not reason to weep? If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he
grows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will perhaps fall
on his head, and kill him.' Then said the maid: 'What a clever Elsie we
have!' and sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over the
misfortune. After a while, as the maid did not come back, and those
upstairs were thirsty for the beer, the man said to the boy: 'Just go
down into the cellar and see where Elsie and the girl are.' The boy
went down, and there sat Clever Elsie and the girl both weeping
together. Then he asked: 'Why are you weeping?' 'Ah,' said Elsie, 'have
I not reason to weep? If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he
grows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will fall on his
head and kill him.' Then said the boy: 'What a clever Elsie we have!'
and sat down by her, and likewise began to howl loudly. Upstairs they
waited for the boy, but as he still did not return, the man said to the
woman: 'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is!' The woman
went down, and found all three in the midst of their lamentations, and
inquired what was the cause; then Elsie told her also that her future
child was to be killed by the pick-axe, when it grew big and had to
draw beer, and the pick-axe fell down. Then said the mother likewise:
'What a clever Elsie we have!' and sat down and wept with them. The man
upstairs waited a short time, but as his wife did not come back and his
thirst grew ever greater, he said: 'I must go into the cellar myself
and see where Elsie is.' But when he got into the cellar, and they were
all sitting together crying, and he heard the reason, and that Elsie's
child was the cause, and the Elsie might perhaps bring one into the
world some day, and that he might be killed by the pick-axe, if he
should happen to be sitting beneath it, drawing beer just at the very
time when it fell down, he cried: 'Oh, what a clever Elsie!' and sat
down, and likewise wept with them. The bridegroom stayed upstairs
alone for along time; then as no one would come back he thought: 'They
must be waiting for me below: I too must go there and see what they are
about.' When he got down, the five of them were sitting screaming and
lamenting quite piteously, each out-doing the other. 'What misfortune
has happened then?' asked he. 'Ah, dear Hans,' said Elsie, 'if we marry
each other and have a child, and he is big, and we perhaps send him
here to draw something to drink, then the pick-axe which has been
left up there might dash his brains out if it were to fall down, so
have we not reason to weep?' 'Come,' said Hans, 'more understanding
than that is not needed for my household, as you are such a clever
Elsie, I will have you,' and seized her hand, took her upstairs with
him, and married her.
After Hans had had her some time, he said: 'Wife, I am going out to
work and earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the corn that
we may have some bread.' 'Yes, dear Hans, I will do that.' After Hans
had gone away, she cooked herself some good broth and took it into the
field with her. When she came to the field she said to herself:
'What shall I do; shall I cut first, or shall I eat first? Oh, I will
eat first.' Then she drank her cup of broth and when she was fully
satisfied, she once more said: 'What shall I do? Shall I cut first, or
shall I sleep first? I will sleep first.' Then she lay down among the
corn and fell asleep. Hans had been at home for a long time, but Elsie
did not come; then said he: 'What a clever Elsie I have; she is so
industrious that she does not even come home to eat.' But when evening
came and she still stayed away, Hans went out to see what she had cut,
but nothing was cut, and she was lying among the corn asleep. Then Hans
hastened home and brought a fowler's net with little bells and hung it
round about her, and she still went on sleeping. Then he ran home,
shut the house-door, and sat down in his chair and worked. At
length, when it was quite dark, Clever Elsie awoke and when she got up
there was a jingling all round about her, and the bells rang at each
step which she took. Then she was alarmed, and became uncertain
whether she really was Clever Elsie or not, and said: 'Is it I, or is
it not I?' But she knew not what answer to make to this, and stood for a
time in doubt; at length she thought: 'I will go home and ask if it be
I, or if it be not I, they will be sure to know.' She ran to the door
of her own house, but it was shut; then she knocked at the window and
cried: 'Hans, is Elsie within?' 'Yes,' answered Hans, 'she is within.'
Hereupon she was terrified, and said: 'Ah, heavens! Then it is not I,'
and went to another door; but when the people heard the jingling of
the bells they would not open it, and she could get in nowhere. Then
she ran out of the village, and no one has seen her since.
The Miser In The Bush
A farmer had a faithful and diligent servant, who had worked hard for
him three years, without having been paid any wages. At last it came
into the man's head that he would not go on thus without pay any
longer; so he went to his master, and said, 'I have worked hard for you
a long time, I will trust to you to give me what I deserve to have for
my trouble.' The farmer was a sad miser, and knew that his man was very
simple-hearted; so he took out threepence, and gave him for every
year's service a penny. The poor fellow thought it was a great deal of
money to have, and said to himself, 'Why should I work hard, and live
here on bad fare any longer? I can now travel into the wide world, and
make myself merry.' With that he put his money into his purse, and set
out, roaming over hill and valley.
As he jogged along over the fields, singing and dancing, a little
dwarf met him, and asked him what made him so merry. 'Why, what should
make me down-hearted?' said he; 'I am sound in health and rich in
purse, what should I care for? I have saved up my three years'
earnings and have it all safe in my pocket.' 'How much may it come
to?' said the little man. 'Full threepence,' replied the countryman. 'I
wish you would give them to me,' said the other; 'I am very poor.'
Then the man pitied him, and gave him all he had; and the little dwarf
said in return, 'As you have such a kind honest heart, I will grant
you three wishes--one for every penny; so choose whatever you like.'
Then the countryman rejoiced at his good luck, and said, 'I like many
things better than money: first, I will have a bow that will bring down
everything I shoot at; secondly, a fiddle that will set everyone
dancing that hears me play upon it; and thirdly, I should like that
everyone should grant what I ask.' The dwarf said he should have his
three wishes; so he gave him the bow and fiddle, and went his way.
Our honest friend journeyed on his way too; and if he was merry before,
he was now ten times more so. He had not gone far before he met an old
miser: close by them stood a tree, and on the topmost twig sat a thrush
singing away most joyfully. 'Oh, what a pretty bird!' said the miser;
'I would give a great deal of money to have such a one.' 'If that's
all,' said the countryman, 'I will soon bring it down.' Then he took up
his bow, and down fell the thrush into the bushes at the foot of the
tree. The miser crept into the bush to find it; but directly he had
got into the middle, his companion took up his fiddle and played away,
and the miser began to dance and spring about, capering higher and
higher in the air. The thorns soon began to tear his clothes till they
all hung in rags about him, and he himself was all scratched and
wounded, so that the blood ran down. 'Oh, for heaven's sake!' cried
the miser, 'Master! master! pray let the fiddle alone. What have I done
to deserve this?' 'Thou hast shaved many a poor soul close enough,'
said the other; 'thou art only meeting thy reward': so he played up
another tune. Then the miser began to beg and promise, and offered
money for his liberty; but he did not come up to the musician's price
for some time, and he danced him along brisker and brisker, and the
miser bid higher and higher, till at last he offered a round hundred
of florins that he had in his purse, and had just gained by cheating
some poor fellow. When the countryman saw so much money, he said, 'I
will agree to your proposal.' So he took the purse, put up his fiddle,
and travelled on very pleased with his bargain.
Meanwhile the miser crept out of the bush half-naked and in a
piteous plight, and began to ponder how he should take his revenge, and
serve his late companion some trick. At last he went to the judge,
and complained that a rascal had robbed him of his money, and
beaten him into the bargain; and that the fellow who did it carried a
bow at his back and a fiddle hung round his neck. Then the judge sent
out his officers to bring up the accused wherever they should find
him; and he was soon caught and brought up to be tried.
The miser began to tell his tale, and said he had been robbed of
his money. 'No, you gave it me for playing a tune to you.'
said the countryman; but the judge told him that was not likely, and
cut the matter short by ordering him off to the gallows.
So away he was taken; but as he stood on the steps he said, 'My
Lord Judge, grant me one last request.' 'Anything but thy life,'
replied the other. 'No,' said he, 'I do not ask my life; only to let
me play upon my fiddle for the last time.' The miser cried out, 'Oh,
no! no! for heaven's sake don't listen to him! don't listen to him!'
But the judge said, 'It is only this once, he will soon have done.' The
fact was, he could not refuse the request, on account of the dwarf's
third gift.
Then the miser said, 'Bind me fast, bind me fast, for pity's sake.'
But the countryman seized his fiddle, and struck up a tune, and at the
first note judge, clerks, and jailer were in motion; all began capering,
and no one could hold the miser. At the second note the hangman let his
prisoner go, and danced also, and by the time he had played the first
bar of the tune, all were dancing together--judge, court, and
miser, and all the people who had followed to look on. At first
the thing was merry and pleasant enough; but when it had gone on a
while, and there seemed to be no end of playing or dancing, they began
to cry out, and beg him to leave off; but he stopped not a whit the
more for their entreaties, till the judge not only gave him his life,
but promised to return him the hundred florins.
Then he called to the miser, and said, 'Tell us now, you vagabond,
where you got that gold, or I shall play on for your amusement only,'
'I stole it,' said the miser in the presence of all the people; 'I
acknowledge that I stole it, and that you earned it fairly.' Then the
countryman stopped his fiddle, and left the miser to take his place at
the gallows.
Ashputtel
The wife of a rich man fell sick; and when she felt that her end
drew nigh, she called her only daughter to her bed-side, and said,
'Always be a good girl, and I will look down from heaven and watch
over you.' Soon afterwards she shut her eyes and died, and was buried
in the garden; and the little girl went every day to her grave and
wept, and was always good and kind to all about her. And the snow fell
and spread a beautiful white covering over the grave; but by the time
the spring came, and the sun had melted it away again, her father had
married another wife. This new wife had two daughters of her own, that
she brought home with her; they were fair in face but foul at heart,
and it was now a sorry time for the poor little girl. 'What does the
good-for-nothing want in the parlour?' said they; 'they who would
eat bread should first earn it; away with the kitchen-maid!' Then
they took away her fine clothes, and gave her an old grey frock to put
on, and laughed at her, and turned her into the kitchen.
There she was forced to do hard work; to rise early before daylight,
to bring the water, to make the fire, to cook and to wash. Besides that,
the sisters plagued her in all sorts of ways, and laughed at her.
In the evening when she was tired, she had no bed to lie down on, but
was made to lie by the hearth among the ashes; and as this, of course,
made her always dusty and dirty, they called her Ashputtel.
It happened once that the father was going to the fair, and asked
his wife's daughters what he should bring them. 'Fine clothes,'
said the first; 'Pearls and diamonds,' cried the second. 'Now, child,'
said he to his own daughter, 'what will you have?' 'The first twig,
dear father, that brushes against your hat when you turn your face to
come homewards,' said she. Then he bought for the first two the fine
clothes and pearls and diamonds they had asked for: and on his way
home, as he rode through a green copse, a hazel twig brushed against
him, and almost pushed off his hat: so he broke it off and brought it
away; and when he got home he gave it to his daughter. Then she took
it, and went to her mother's grave and planted it there; and cried so
much that it was watered with her tears; and there it grew and became
a fine tree. Three times every day she went to it and cried; and soon
a little bird came and built its nest upon the tree, and talked with
her, and watched over her, and brought her whatever she wished for.
Now it happened that the king of that land held a feast, which was to
last three days; and out of those who came to it his son was to choose a
bride for himself. Ashputtel's two sisters were asked to come; so they
called her up, and said, 'Now, comb our hair, brush our shoes, and tie
our sashes for us, for we are going to dance at the king's feast.'
Then she did as she was told; but when all was done she could not
help crying, for she thought to herself, she should so have liked to
have gone with them to the ball; and at last she begged her mother
very hard to let her go. 'You, Ashputtel!' said she; 'you who have
nothing to wear, no clothes at all, and who cannot even dance--you
want to go to the ball?' And when she kept on begging, she said at last,
to get rid of her, 'I will throw this dishful of peas into the
ash-heap, and if in two hours' time you have picked them all out, you
shall go to the feast too.'
Then she threw the peas down among the ashes, but the little maiden
ran out at the back door into the garden, and cried out:
'Hither, hither, through the sky,
Turtle-doves and linnets, fly!
Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay,
Hither, hither, haste away!
One and all come help me, quick!
Haste ye, haste ye!--pick, pick, pick!'
Then first came two white doves, flying in at the kitchen window;
next came two turtle-doves; and after them came all the little birds
under heaven, chirping and fluttering in: and they flew down into the
ashes. And the little doves stooped their heads down and set to work,
pick, pick, pick; and then the others began to pick, pick, pick: and
among them all they soon picked out all the good grain, and put it
into a dish but left the ashes. Long before the end of the hour the
work was quite done, and all flew out again at the windows.
Then Ashputtel brought the dish to her mother, overjoyed at the
thought that now she should go to the ball. But the mother said,
'No, no! you slut, you have no clothes, and cannot dance; you shall
not go.' And when Ashputtel begged very hard to go, she said, 'If you
can in one hour's time pick two of those dishes of peas out of the
ashes, you shall go too.' And thus she thought she should at least
get rid of her. So she shook two dishes of peas into the ashes.
But the little maiden went out into the garden at the back of the
house, and cried out as before:
'Hither, hither, through the sky,
Turtle-doves and linnets, fly!
Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay,
Hither, hither, haste away!
One and all come help me, quick!
Haste ye, haste ye!--pick, pick, pick!'
Then first came two white doves in at the kitchen window; next came
two turtle-doves; and after them came all the little birds under
heaven, chirping and hopping about. And they flew down into the
ashes; and the little doves put their heads down and set to work,
pick, pick, pick; and then the others began pick, pick, pick; and they
put all the good grain into the dishes, and left all the ashes. Before
half an hour's time all was done, and out they flew again. And then
Ashputtel took the dishes to her mother, rejoicing to think that she
should now go to the ball. But her mother said, 'It is all of no use,
you cannot go; you have no clothes, and cannot dance, and you would only
put us to shame': and off she went with her two daughters to the ball.
Now when all were gone, and nobody left at home, Ashputtel
went sorrowfully and sat down under the hazel-tree, and cried out:
'Shake, shake, hazel-tree,
Gold and silver over me!'
Then her friend the bird flew out of the tree, and brought a gold
and silver dress for her, and slippers of spangled silk; and she put
them on, and followed her sisters to the feast. But they did not
know her, and thought it must be some strange princess, she looked so
fine and beautiful in her rich clothes; and they never once thought of
Ashputtel, taking it for granted that she was safe at home in the dirt.
The king's son soon came up to her, and took her by the hand and
danced with her, and no one else: and he never left her hand; but
when anyone else came to ask her to dance, he said, 'This lady is
dancing with me.'
Thus they danced till a late hour of the night; and then she wanted to
go home: and the king's son said, 'I shall go and take care of you to
your home'; for he wanted to see where the beautiful maiden lived.
But she slipped away from him, unawares, and ran off towards home;
and as the prince followed her, she jumped up into the pigeon-house
and shut the door. Then he waited till her father came home, and
told him that the unknown maiden, who had been at the feast, had
hid herself in the pigeon-house. But when they had broken open the
door they found no one within; and as they came back into the house,
Ashputtel was lying, as she always did, in her dirty frock by the
ashes, and her dim little lamp was burning in the chimney. For she had
run as quickly as she could through the pigeon-house and on to the
hazel-tree, and had there taken off her beautiful clothes, and put
them beneath the tree, that the bird might carry them away, and had
lain down again amid the ashes in her little grey frock.
The next day when the feast was again held, and her father, mother,
and sisters were gone, Ashputtel went to the hazel-tree, and said:
'Shake, shake, hazel-tree,
Gold and silver over me!'
And the bird came and brought a still finer dress than the one she
had worn the day before. And when she came in it to the ball,
everyone wondered at her beauty: but the king's son, who was waiting for
her, took her by the hand, and danced with her; and when anyone asked
her to dance, he said as before, 'This lady is dancing with me.'
When night came she wanted to go home; and the king's son followed here
as before, that he might see into what house she went: but she sprang
away from him all at once into the garden behind her father's house.
In this garden stood a fine large pear-tree full of ripe fruit; and
Ashputtel, not knowing where to hide herself, jumped up into it without
being seen. Then the king's son lost sight of her, and could not find
out where she was gone, but waited till her father came home, and said
to him, 'The unknown lady who danced with me has slipped away, and I
think she must have sprung into the pear-tree.' The father thought to
himself, 'Can it be Ashputtel?' So he had an axe brought; and they cut
down the tree, but found no one upon it. And when they came back
into the kitchen, there lay Ashputtel among the ashes; for she had
slipped down on the other side of the tree, and carried her beautiful
clothes back to the bird at the hazel-tree, and then put on her little
grey frock.
The third day, when her father and mother and sisters were gone, she
went again into the garden, and said:
'Shake, shake, hazel-tree,
Gold and silver over me!'
Then her kind friend the bird brought a dress still finer than the
former one, and slippers which were all of gold: so that when she
came to the feast no one knew what to say, for wonder at her beauty:
and the king's son danced with nobody but her; and when anyone else
asked her to dance, he said, 'This lady is _my_ partner, sir.'
When night came she wanted to go home; and the king's son would go
with her, and said to himself, 'I will not lose her this time'; but,
however, she again slipped away from him, though in such a hurry that
she dropped her left golden slipper upon the stairs.
The prince took the shoe, and went the next day to the king his
father, and said, 'I will take for my wife the lady that this
golden slipper fits.' Then both the sisters were overjoyed to hear
it; for they had beautiful feet, and had no doubt that they could wear
the golden slipper. The eldest went first into the room where the
slipper was, and wanted to try it on, and the mother stood by. But her
great toe could not go into it, and the shoe was altogether much too
small for her. Then the mother gave her a knife, and said, 'Never
mind, cut it off; when you are queen you will not care about toes;
you will not want to walk.' So the silly girl cut off her great toe,
and thus squeezed on the shoe, and went to the king's son. Then he took
her for his bride, and set her beside him on his horse, and rode away
with her homewards.
But on their way home they had to pass by the hazel-tree that
Ashputtel had planted; and on the branch sat a little dove singing:
'Back again! back again! look to the shoe!
The shoe is too small, and not made for you!
Prince! prince! look again for thy bride,
For she's not the true one that sits by thy side.'
Then the prince got down and looked at her foot; and he saw, by the
blood that streamed from it, what a trick she had played him. So he
turned his horse round, and brought the false bride back to her home,
and said, 'This is not the right bride; let the other sister try and put
on the slipper.' Then she went into the room and got her foot into
the shoe, all but the heel, which was too large. But her mother
squeezed it in till the blood came, and took her to the king's son:
and he set her as his bride by his side on his horse, and rode away
with her.
But when they came to the hazel-tree the little dove sat there still,
and sang:
'Back again! back again! look to the shoe!
The shoe is too small, and not made for you!
Prince! prince! look again for thy bride,
For she's not the true one that sits by thy side.'
Then he looked down, and saw that the blood streamed so much from
the shoe, that her white stockings were quite red. So he turned his
horse and brought her also back again. 'This is not the true bride,'
said he to the father; 'have you no other daughters?' 'No,' said he;
'there is only a little dirty Ashputtel here, the child of my first
wife; I am sure she cannot be the bride.' The prince told him to
send her. But the mother said, 'No, no, she is much too dirty; she
will not dare to show herself.' However, the prince would have her
come; and she first washed her face and hands, and then went in and
curtsied to him, and he reached her the golden slipper. Then she took
her clumsy shoe off her left foot, and put on the golden slipper; and
it fitted her as if it had been made for her. And when he drew near and
looked at her face he knew her, and said, 'This is the right bride.'
But the mother and both the sisters were frightened, and turned pale
with anger as he took Ashputtel on his horse, and rode away with her.
And when they came to the hazel-tree, the white dove sang:
'Home! home! look at the shoe!
Princess! the shoe was made for you!
Prince! prince! take home thy bride,
For she is the true one that sits by thy side!'
And when the dove had done its song, it came flying, and perched upon
her right shoulder, and so went home with her.
The White Snake
A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom
through all the land. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if
news of the most secret things was brought to him through the air.
But he had a strange custom; every day after dinner, when the table
was cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty servant had to bring
him one more dish. It was covered, however, and even the servant did
not know what was in it, neither did anyone know, for the king never
took off the cover to eat of it until he was quite alone.
This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who took
away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he could not help
carrying the dish into his room. When he had carefully locked the door,
he lifted up the cover, and saw a white snake lying on the dish. But
when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting it,
so he cut of a little bit and put it into his mouth. No sooner had it
touched his tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little voices
outside his window. He went and listened, and then noticed that it
was the sparrows who were chattering together, and telling one another
of all kinds of things which they had seen in the fields and woods.
Eating the snake had given him power of understanding the language of
animals.
Now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most
beautiful ring, and suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this trusty
servant, who was allowed to go everywhere. The king ordered the man
to be brought before him, and threatened with angry words that unless
he could before the morrow point out the thief, he himself should be
looked upon as guilty and executed. In vain he declared his innocence;
he was dismissed with no better answer.
In his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and took
thought how to help himself out of his trouble. Now some ducks
were sitting together quietly by a brook and taking their rest; and,
whilst they were making their feathers smooth with their bills,
they were having a confidential conversation together. The servant
stood by and listened. They were telling one another of all the
places where they had been waddling about all the morning, and what
good food they had found; and one said in a pitiful tone: 'Something
lies heavy on my stomach; as I was eating in haste I swallowed a
ring which lay under the queen's window.' The servant at once seized
her by the neck, carried her to the kitchen, and said to the cook:
'Here is a fine duck; pray, kill her.' 'Yes,' said the cook, and
weighed her in his hand; 'she has spared no trouble to fatten
herself, and has been waiting to be roasted long enough.' So he cut off
her head, and as she was being dressed for the spit, the queen's ring
was found inside her.
The servant could now easily prove his innocence; and the king, to
make amends for the wrong, allowed him to ask a favour, and promised
him the best place in the court that he could wish for. The
servant refused everything, and only asked for a horse and some money
for travelling, as he had a mind to see the world and go about a
little. When his request was granted he set out on his way, and one day
came to a pond, where he saw three fishes caught in the reeds and
gasping for water. Now, though it is said that fishes are dumb, he
heard them lamenting that they must perish so miserably, and, as he
had a kind heart, he got off his horse and put the three prisoners
back into the water. They leapt with delight, put out their heads, and
cried to him: 'We will remember you and repay you for saving us!'
He rode on, and after a while it seemed to him that he heard a voice
in the sand at his feet. He listened, and heard an ant-king complain:
'Why cannot folks, with their clumsy beasts, keep off our bodies? That
stupid horse, with his heavy hoofs, has been treading down my people
without mercy!' So he turned on to a side path and the ant-king cried
out to him: 'We will remember you--one good turn deserves another!'
The path led him into a wood, and there he saw two old ravens standing
by their nest, and throwing out their young ones. 'Out with you, you
idle, good-for-nothing creatures!' cried they; 'we cannot find food for
you any longer; you are big enough, and can provide for yourselves.'
But the poor young ravens lay upon the ground, flapping their wings,
and crying: 'Oh, what helpless chicks we are! We must shift for
ourselves, and yet we cannot fly! What can we do, but lie here and
starve?' So the good young fellow alighted and killed his horse with
his sword, and gave it to them for food. Then they came hopping up to
it, satisfied their hunger, and cried: 'We will remember you--one good
turn deserves another!'
And now he had to use his own legs, and when he had walked a long way,
he came to a large city. There was a great noise and crowd in the
streets, and a man rode up on horseback, crying aloud: 'The king's
daughter wants a husband; but whoever seeks her hand must perform a
hard task, and if he does not succeed he will forfeit his life.'
Many had already made the attempt, but in vain; nevertheless when the
youth saw the king's daughter he was so overcome by her great beauty
that he forgot all danger, went before the king, and declared himself
a suitor.
So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it,
before his eyes; then the king ordered him to fetch this ring up from
the bottom of the sea, and added: 'If you come up again without it you
will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves.'
All the people grieved for the handsome youth; then they went away,
leaving him alone by the sea.
He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly
he saw three fishes come swimming towards him, and they were the very
fishes whose lives he had saved. The one in the middle held a
mussel in its mouth, which it laid on the shore at the youth's feet,
and when he had taken it up and opened it, there lay the gold ring in
the shell. Full of joy he took it to the king and expected that he
would grant him the promised reward.
But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in
birth, she scorned him, and required him first to perform another task.
She went down into the garden and strewed with her own hands ten
sacksful of millet-seed on the grass; then she said: 'Tomorrow morning
before sunrise these must be picked up, and not a single grain be
wanting.'
The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be
possible to perform this task, but he could think of nothing, and
there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day, when he should be
led to death. But as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the
garden he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side, quite full, and
not a single grain was missing. The ant-king had come in the night
with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful creatures had
by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into
the sacks.
Presently the king's daughter herself came down into the garden, and
was amazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given
him. But she could not yet conquer her proud heart, and said:
'Although he has performed both the tasks, he shall not be my husband
until he had brought me an apple from the Tree of Life.' The youth did
not know where the Tree of Life stood, but he set out, and would have
gone on for ever, as long as his legs would carry him, though he had no
hope of finding it. After he had wandered through three kingdoms, he
came one evening to a wood, and lay down under a tree to sleep. But
he heard a rustling in the branches, and a golden apple fell into his
hand. At the same time three ravens flew down to him, perched
themselves upon his knee, and said: 'We are the three young ravens whom
you saved from starving; when we had grown big, and heard that you
were seeking the Golden Apple, we flew over the sea to the end of the
world, where the Tree of Life stands, and have brought you the apple.'
The youth, full of joy, set out homewards, and took the Golden Apple
to the king's beautiful daughter, who had now no more excuses left to
make. They cut the Apple of Life in two and ate it together; and then
her heart became full of love for him, and they lived in
undisturbed happiness to a great age.
The Wolf And The Seven Little Kids
There was once upon a time an old goat who had seven little kids,
and loved them with all the love of a mother for her children. One
day she wanted to go into the forest and fetch some food. So she called
all seven to her and said: 'Dear children, I have to go into the
forest, be on your guard against the wolf; if he comes in, he will
devour you all--skin, hair, and everything. The wretch often disguises
himself, but you will know him at once by his rough voice and his
black feet.' The kids said: 'Dear mother, we will take good care of
ourselves; you may go away without any anxiety.' Then the old one
bleated, and went on her way with an easy mind.
It was not long before someone knocked at the house-door and called:
'Open the door, dear children; your mother is here, and has brought
something back with her for each of you.' But the little kids knew that
it was the wolf, by the rough voice. 'We will not open the door,'
cried they, 'you are not our mother. She has a soft, pleasant voice,
but your voice is rough; you are the wolf!' Then the wolf went away
to a shopkeeper and bought himself a great lump of chalk, ate this
and made his voice soft with it. Then he came back, knocked at the
door of the house, and called: 'Open the door, dear children, your
mother is here and has brought something back with her for each of
you.' But the wolf had laid his black paws against the window, and the
children saw them and cried: 'We will not open the door, our mother has
not black feet like you: you are the wolf!' Then the wolf ran to a
baker and said: 'I have hurt my feet, rub some dough over them for
me.' And when the baker had rubbed his feet over, he ran to the miller
and said: 'Strew some white meal over my feet for me.' The miller
thought to himself: 'The wolf wants to deceive someone,' and refused;
but the wolf said: 'If you will not do it, I will devour you.' Then
the miller was afraid, and made his paws white for him. Truly, this is
the way of mankind.
So now the wretch went for the third time to the house-door, knocked at
it and said: 'Open the door for me, children, your dear little mother
has come home, and has brought every one of you something back from the
forest with her.' The little kids cried: 'First show us your paws
that we may know if you are our dear little mother.' Then he put his
paws in through the window and when the kids saw that they were white,
they believed that all he said was true, and opened the door. But who
should come in but the wolf! They were terrified and wanted to hide
themselves. One sprang under the table, the second into the bed, the
third into the stove, the fourth into the kitchen, the fifth into
the cupboard, the sixth under the washing-bowl, and the seventh into
the clock-case. But the wolf found them all, and used no great
ceremony; one after the other he swallowed them down his throat. The
youngest, who was in the clock-case, was the only one he did not find.
When the wolf had satisfied his appetite he took himself off, laid
himself down under a tree in the green meadow outside, and began to
sleep. Soon afterwards the old goat came home again from the forest.
Ah! what a sight she saw there! The house-door stood wide open. The
table, chairs, and benches were thrown down, the washing-bowl lay
broken to pieces, and the quilts and pillows were pulled off the bed.
She sought her children, but they were nowhere to be found. She
called them one after another by name, but no one answered. At
last, when she came to the youngest, a soft voice cried: 'Dear
mother, I am in the clock-case.' She took the kid out, and it told her
that the wolf had come and had eaten all the others. Then you may
imagine how she wept over her poor children.
At length in her grief she went out, and the youngest kid ran with
her. When they came to the meadow, there lay the wolf by the tree and
snored so loud that the branches shook. She looked at him on every side
and saw that something was moving and struggling in his gorged belly.
'Ah, heavens,' she said, 'is it possible that my poor children whom he
has swallowed down for his supper, can be still alive?' Then the kid
had to run home and fetch scissors, and a needle and thread, and
the goat cut open the monster's stomach, and hardly had she made one
cut, than one little kid thrust its head out, and when she had cut
farther, all six sprang out one after another, and were all still
alive, and had suffered no injury whatever, for in his greediness
the monster had swallowed them down whole. What rejoicing there was!
They embraced their dear mother, and jumped like a tailor at his
wedding. The mother, however, said: 'Now go and look for some big
stones, and we will fill the wicked beast's stomach with them while
he is still asleep.' Then the seven kids dragged the stones thither
with all speed, and put as many of them into this stomach as they
could get in; and the mother sewed him up again in the greatest haste,
so that he was not aware of anything and never once stirred.
When the wolf at length had had his fill of sleep, he got on his legs,
and as the stones in his stomach made him very thirsty, he wanted to go
to a well to drink. But when he began to walk and to move about, the
stones in his stomach knocked against each other and rattled. Then
cried he:
'What rumbles and tumbles
Against my poor bones?
I thought 'twas six kids,
But it feels like big stones.'
And when he got to the well and stooped over the water to drink, the
heavy stones made him fall in, and he drowned miserably. When the seven
kids saw that, they came running to the spot and cried aloud: 'The
wolf is dead! The wolf is dead!' and danced for joy round about the
well with their mother.
The Queen Bee
Two kings' sons once upon a time went into the world to seek
their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of
living, so that they could not return home again. Then their
brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for
his brothers: but when he had found them they only laughed at him, to
think that he, who was so young and simple, should try to travel
through the world, when they, who were so much wiser, had been unable
to get on. However, they all set out on their journey together, and
came at last to an ant-hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled
it down, in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run
about and carry off their eggs. But the little dwarf said, 'Let the
poor things enjoy themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.'
So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were
swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them.
But the dwarf said, 'Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall
not kill them.' Next they came to a bees'-nest in a hollow tree, and
there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two
brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so
as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, 'Let the
pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.'
At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by
the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of
marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the
rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the
middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next
room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and
they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they
called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them.
He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful
table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten and
drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber.
The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble
table, where there were three tablets, containing an account of the
means by which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet
said: 'In the wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls
belonging to the king's daughter; they must all be found: and if one
be missing by set of sun, he who seeks them will be turned into
marble.'
The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day:
but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he was
turned into stone as the tablet had foretold.
The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded
no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of
the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone.
At last came the little dwarf's turn; and he looked in the moss; but
it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!--so
he sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of
the ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five
thousand ants; and it was not long before they had found all the
pearls and laid them in a heap.
The second tablet said: 'The key of the princess's bed-chamber must
be fished up out of the lake.' And as the dwarf came to the brink of
it, he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and
they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom.
The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and
the best of the king's three daughters. Now they were all beautiful,
and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a
piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful
of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey.
Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little
dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last
she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the
dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all
who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms.
And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses,
and was king after her father's death; but his two brothers married the
other two sisters.
The Elves And The Shoemaker
There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest:
but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had
in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of
shoes.
Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning
to rise early in the morning to his work. His conscience was clear and
his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed,
left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning
after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work;
when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon
the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd
thing happening. He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false
stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a
masterpiece.
The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that
he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor
shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs
more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, that
he might get up and begin betimes next day; but he was saved all the
trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to
his hand. Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods,
so that he bought leather enough for four pair more. He cut out the
work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and
so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was
always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and well
off again.
One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting
over the fire chatting together, he said to her, 'I should like to sit
up and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my
work for me.' The wife liked the thought; so they left a light
burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a
curtain that was hung up there, and watched what would happen.
As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs;
and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work
that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers,
stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the
shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them. And
on they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready
for use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then
they bustled away as quick as lightning.
The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. 'These little wights
have made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a
good turn if we can. I am quite sorry to see them run about as they do;
and indeed it is not very decent, for they have nothing upon their
backs to keep off the cold. I'll tell you what, I will make each of
them a shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons into
the bargain; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.'
The thought pleased the good cobbler very much; and one evening, when
all the things were ready, they laid them on the table, instead of the
work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves, to
watch what the little elves would do.
About midnight in they came, dancing and skipping, hopped round the
room, and then went to sit down to their work as usual; but when they
saw the clothes lying for them, they laughed and chuckled, and
seemed mightily delighted.
Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced
and capered and sprang about, as merry as could be; till at last they
danced out at the door, and away over the green.
The good couple saw them no more; but everything went well with them
from that time forward, as long as they lived.
The Juniper-Tree
Long, long ago, some two thousand years or so, there lived a rich man
with a good and beautiful wife. They loved each other dearly, but
sorrowed much that they had no children. So greatly did they desire to
have one, that the wife prayed for it day and night, but still they
remained childless.
In front of the house there was a court, in which grew a juniper-tree.
One winter's day the wife stood under the tree to peel some apples, and
as she was peeling them, she cut her finger, and the blood fell on
the snow. 'Ah,' sighed the woman heavily, 'if I had but a child, as red
as blood and as white as snow,' and as she spoke the words, her heart
grew light within her, and it seemed to her that her wish was granted,
and she returned to the house feeling glad and comforted. A month
passed, and the snow had all disappeared; then another month went by,
and all the earth was green. So the months followed one another, and
first the trees budded in the woods, and soon the green branches
grew thickly intertwined, and then the blossoms began to fall. Once
again the wife stood under the juniper-tree, and it was so full of
sweet scent that her heart leaped for joy, and she was so overcome
with her happiness, that she fell on her knees. Presently the fruit
became round and firm, and she was glad and at peace; but when they
were fully ripe she picked the berries and ate eagerly of them, and
then she grew sad and ill. A little while later she called her
husband, and said to him, weeping. 'If I die, bury me under the
juniper-tree.' Then she felt comforted and happy again, and before
another month had passed she had a little child, and when she saw that
it was as white as snow and as red as blood, her joy was so great that
she died.
Her husband buried her under the juniper-tree, and wept bitterly for
her. By degrees, however, his sorrow grew less, and although at times he
still grieved over his loss, he was able to go about as usual, and
later on he married again.
He now had a little daughter born to him; the child of his first wife
was a boy, who was as red as blood and as white as snow. The mother
loved her daughter very much, and when she looked at her and then
looked at the boy, it pierced her heart to think that he would always
stand in the way of her own child, and she was continually thinking how
she could get the whole of the property for her. This evil thought took
possession of her more and more, and made her behave very unkindly to
the boy. She drove him from place to place with cuffings and
buffetings, so that the poor child went about in fear, and had no peace
from the time he left school to the time he went back.
One day the little daughter came running to her mother in the
store-room, and said, 'Mother, give me an apple.' 'Yes, my child,' said
the wife, and she gave her a beautiful apple out of the chest; the
chest had a very heavy lid and a large iron lock.
'Mother,' said the little daughter again, 'may not brother have one
too?' The mother was angry at this, but she answered, 'Yes, when he
comes out of school.'
Just then she looked out of the window and saw him coming, and it
seemed as if an evil spirit entered into her, for she snatched the
apple out of her little daughter's hand, and said, 'You shall not have
one before your brother.' She threw the apple into the chest and shut
it to. The little boy now came in, and the evil spirit in the wife
made her say kindly to him, 'My son, will you have an apple?' but she
gave him a wicked look. 'Mother,' said the boy, 'how dreadful you
look! Yes, give me an apple.' The thought came to her that she would
kill him. 'Come with me,' she said, and she lifted up the lid of the
chest; 'take one out for yourself.' And as he bent over to do so, the
evil spirit urged her, and crash! down went the lid, and off went the
little boy's head. Then she was overwhelmed with fear at the thought of
what she had done. 'If only I can prevent anyone knowing that I did
it,' she thought. So she went upstairs to her room, and took a white
handkerchief out of her top drawer; then she set the boy's head again
on his shoulders, and bound it with the handkerchief so that nothing
could be seen, and placed him on a chair by the door with an apple in
his hand.
Soon after this, little Marleen came up to her mother who was stirring
a pot of boiling water over the fire, and said, 'Mother, brother is
sitting by the door with an apple in his hand, and he looks so pale;
and when I asked him to give me the apple, he did not answer, and
that frightened me.'
'Go to him again,' said her mother, 'and if he does not answer, give him
a box on the ear.' So little Marleen went, and said, 'Brother, give me
that apple,' but he did not say a word; then she gave him a box on the
ear, and his head rolled off. She was so terrified at this, that she ran
crying and screaming to her mother. 'Oh!' she said, 'I have knocked
off brother's head,' and then she wept and wept, and nothing would stop
her.
'What have you done!' said her mother, 'but no one must know about it,
so you must keep silence; what is done can't be undone; we will make him
into puddings.' And she took the little boy and cut him up, made
him into puddings, and put him in the pot. But Marleen stood looking
on, and wept and wept, and her tears fell into the pot, so that there
was no need of salt.
Presently the father came home and sat down to his dinner; he
asked, 'Where is my son?' The mother said nothing, but gave him a large
dish of black pudding, and Marleen still wept without ceasing.
The father again asked, 'Where is my son?'
'Oh,' answered the wife, 'he is gone into the country to his
mother's great uncle; he is going to stay there some time.'
'What has he gone there for, and he never even said goodbye to me!'
'Well, he likes being there, and he told me he should be away quite
six weeks; he is well looked after there.'
'I feel very unhappy about it,' said the husband, 'in case it should
not be all right, and he ought to have said goodbye to me.'
With this he went on with his dinner, and said, 'Little Marleen, why
do you weep? Brother will soon be back.' Then he asked his wife for
more pudding, and as he ate, he threw the bones under the table.
Little Marleen went upstairs and took her best silk handkerchief out
of her bottom drawer, and in it she wrapped all the bones from under
the table and carried them outside, and all the time she did nothing but
weep. Then she laid them in the green grass under the juniper-tree, and
she had no sooner done so, then all her sadness seemed to leave her,
and she wept no more. And now the juniper-tree began to move, and the
branches waved backwards and forwards, first away from one another,
and then together again, as it might be someone clapping their hands
for joy. After this a mist came round the tree, and in the midst of it
there was a burning as of fire, and out of the fire there flew a
beautiful bird, that rose high into the air, singing magnificently, and
when it could no more be seen, the juniper-tree stood there as
before, and the silk handkerchief and the bones were gone.
Little Marleen now felt as lighthearted and happy as if her brother
were still alive, and she went back to the house and sat down cheerfully
to the table and ate.
The bird flew away and alighted on the house of a goldsmith and began
to sing:
'My mother killed her little son;
My father grieved when I was gone;
My sister loved me best of all;
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
The goldsmith was in his workshop making a gold chain, when he heard
the song of the bird on his roof. He thought it so beautiful that he
got up and ran out, and as he crossed the threshold he lost one of his
slippers. But he ran on into the middle of the street, with a slipper
on one foot and a sock on the other; he still had on his apron, and
still held the gold chain and the pincers in his hands, and so he stood
gazing up at the bird, while the sun came shining brightly down on the
street.
'Bird,' he said, 'how beautifully you sing! Sing me that song again.'
'Nay,' said the bird, 'I do not sing twice for nothing. Give that
gold chain, and I will sing it you again.'
'Here is the chain, take it,' said the goldsmith. 'Only sing me
that again.'
The bird flew down and took the gold chain in his right claw, and then
he alighted again in front of the goldsmith and sang:
'My mother killed her little son;
My father grieved when I was gone;
My sister loved me best of all;
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
Then he flew away, and settled on the roof of a shoemaker's house
and sang:
'My mother killed her little son;
My father grieved when I was gone;
My sister loved me best of all;
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
The shoemaker heard him, and he jumped up and ran out in
his shirt-sleeves, and stood looking up at the bird on the roof with his
hand over his eyes to keep himself from being blinded by the sun.
'Bird,' he said, 'how beautifully you sing!' Then he called through
the door to his wife: 'Wife, come out; here is a bird, come and look at
it and hear how beautifully it sings.' Then he called his daughter
and the children, then the apprentices, girls and boys, and they all
ran up the street to look at the bird, and saw how splendid it was
with its red and green feathers, and its neck like burnished gold, and
eyes like two bright stars in its head.
'Bird,' said the shoemaker, 'sing me that song again.'
'Nay,' answered the bird, 'I do not sing twice for nothing; you must
give me something.'
'Wife,' said the man, 'go into the garret; on the upper shelf you will
see a pair of red shoes; bring them to me.' The wife went in and
fetched the shoes.
'There, bird,' said the shoemaker, 'now sing me that song again.'
The bird flew down and took the red shoes in his left claw, and then
he went back to the roof and sang:
'My mother killed her little son;
My father grieved when I was gone;
My sister loved me best of all;
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
When he had finished, he flew away. He had the chain in his right claw
and the shoes in his left, and he flew right away to a mill, and the
mill went 'Click clack, click clack, click clack.' Inside the mill
were twenty of the miller's men hewing a stone, and as they went 'Hick
hack, hick hack, hick hack,' the mill went 'Click clack, click clack,
click clack.'
The bird settled on a lime-tree in front of the mill and sang:
'My mother killed her little son;
then one of the men left off,
My father grieved when I was gone;
two more men left off and listened,
My sister loved me best of all;
then four more left off,
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
now there were only eight at work,
Underneath
And now only five,
the juniper-tree.
and now only one,
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
then he looked up and the last one had left off work.
'Bird,' he said, 'what a beautiful song that is you sing! Let me hear
it too; sing it again.'
'Nay,' answered the bird, 'I do not sing twice for nothing; give me
that millstone, and I will sing it again.'
'If it belonged to me alone,' said the man, 'you should have it.'
'Yes, yes,' said the others: 'if he will sing again, he can have it.'
The bird came down, and all the twenty millers set to and lifted up
the stone with a beam; then the bird put his head through the hole and
took the stone round his neck like a collar, and flew back with it to
the tree and sang--
'My mother killed her little son;
My father grieved when I was gone;
My sister loved me best of all;
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
And when he had finished his song, he spread his wings, and with the
chain in his right claw, the shoes in his left, and the millstone
round his neck, he flew right away to his father's house.
The father, the mother, and little Marleen were having their dinner.
'How lighthearted I feel,' said the father, 'so pleased and cheerful.'
'And I,' said the mother, 'I feel so uneasy, as if a heavy
thunderstorm were coming.'
But little Marleen sat and wept and wept.
Then the bird came flying towards the house and settled on the roof.
'I do feel so happy,' said the father, 'and how beautifully the
sun shines; I feel just as if I were going to see an old friend again.'
'Ah!' said the wife, 'and I am so full of distress and uneasiness that
my teeth chatter, and I feel as if there were a fire in my veins,' and
she tore open her dress; and all the while little Marleen sat in the
corner and wept, and the plate on her knees was wet with her tears.
The bird now flew to the juniper-tree and began singing:
'My mother killed her little son;
the mother shut her eyes and her ears, that she might see and
hear nothing, but there was a roaring sound in her ears like that of a
violent storm, and in her eyes a burning and flashing like lightning:
My father grieved when I was gone;
'Look, mother,' said the man, 'at the beautiful bird that is singing
so magnificently; and how warm and bright the sun is, and what a
delicious scent of spice in the air!'
My sister loved me best of all;
then little Marleen laid her head down on her knees and sobbed.
'I must go outside and see the bird nearer,' said the man.
'Ah, do not go!' cried the wife. 'I feel as if the whole house were
in flames!'
But the man went out and looked at the bird.
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
With that the bird let fall the gold chain, and it fell just round
the man's neck, so that it fitted him exactly.
He went inside, and said, 'See, what a splendid bird that is; he has
given me this beautiful gold chain, and looks so beautiful himself.'
But the wife was in such fear and trouble, that she fell on the floor,
and her cap fell from her head.
Then the bird began again:
'My mother killed her little son;
'Ah me!' cried the wife, 'if I were but a thousand feet beneath the
earth, that I might not hear that song.'
My father grieved when I was gone;
then the woman fell down again as if dead.
My sister loved me best of all;
'Well,' said little Marleen, 'I will go out too and see if the bird
will give me anything.'
So she went out.
She laid her kerchief over me,
And took my bones that they might lie
and he threw down the shoes to her,
Underneath the juniper-tree
Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!'
And she now felt quite happy and lighthearted; she put on the shoes
and danced and jumped about in them. 'I was so miserable,' she said,
'when I came out, but that has all passed away; that is indeed a
splendid bird, and he has given me a pair of red shoes.'
The wife sprang up, with her hair standing out from her head like
flames of fire. 'Then I will go out too,' she said, 'and see if it will
lighten my misery, for I feel as if the world were coming to an end.'
But as she crossed the threshold, crash! the bird threw the millstone
down on her head, and she was crushed to death.
The father and little Marleen heard the sound and ran out, but they
only saw mist and flame and fire rising from the spot, and when
these had passed, there stood the little brother, and he took the
father and little Marleen by the hand; then they all three
rejoiced, and went inside together and sat down to their dinners and
ate.
The Turnip
There were two brothers who were both soldiers; the one was rich and
the other poor. The poor man thought he would try to better
himself; so, pulling off his red coat, he became a gardener, and dug
his ground well, and sowed turnips.
When the seed came up, there was one plant bigger than all the rest;
and it kept getting larger and larger, and seemed as if it would never
cease growing; so that it might have been called the prince of turnips
for there never was such a one seen before, and never will again. At
last it was so big that it filled a cart, and two oxen could hardly
draw it; and the gardener knew not what in the world to do with it,
nor whether it would be a blessing or a curse to him. One day he said to
himself, 'What shall I do with it? if I sell it, it will bring no more
than another; and for eating, the little turnips are better than this;
the best thing perhaps is to carry it and give it to the king as a
mark of respect.'
Then he yoked his oxen, and drew the turnip to the court, and gave it
to the king. 'What a wonderful thing!' said the king; 'I have seen
many strange things, but such a monster as this I never saw. Where did
you get the seed? or is it only your good luck? If so, you are a
true child of fortune.' 'Ah, no!' answered the gardener, 'I am no child
of fortune; I am a poor soldier, who never could get enough to live
upon; so I laid aside my red coat, and set to work, tilling the ground.
I have a brother, who is rich, and your majesty knows him well, and all
the world knows him; but because I am poor, everybody forgets me.'
The king then took pity on him, and said, 'You shall be poor no longer.
I will give you so much that you shall be even richer than your
brother.' Then he gave him gold and lands and flocks, and made him so
rich that his brother's fortune could not at all be compared with his.
When the brother heard of all this, and how a turnip had made the
gardener so rich, he envied him sorely, and bethought himself how he
could contrive to get the same good fortune for himself. However, he
determined to manage more cleverly than his brother, and got together
a rich present of gold and fine horses for the king; and thought he
must have a much larger gift in return; for if his brother had received
so much for only a turnip, what must his present be wroth?
The king took the gift very graciously, and said he knew not what to
give in return more valuable and wonderful than the great turnip;
so the soldier was forced to put it into a cart, and drag it home with
him. When he reached home, he knew not upon whom to vent his rage and
spite; and at length wicked thoughts came into his head, and he
resolved to kill his brother.
So he hired some villains to murder him; and having shown them where
to lie in ambush, he went to his brother, and said, 'Dear brother, I
have found a hidden treasure; let us go and dig it up, and share it
between us.' The other had no suspicions of his roguery: so they
went out together, and as they were travelling along, the murderers
rushed out upon him, bound him, and were going to hang him on a tree.
But whilst they were getting all ready, they heard the trampling of
a horse at a distance, which so frightened them that they pushed
their prisoner neck and shoulders together into a sack, and swung him
up by a cord to the tree, where they left him dangling, and ran away.
Meantime he worked and worked away, till he made a hole large enough
to put out his head.
When the horseman came up, he proved to be a student, a merry fellow,
who was journeying along on his nag, and singing as he went. As soon
as the man in the sack saw him passing under the tree, he cried
out, 'Good morning! good morning to thee, my friend!' The student
looked about everywhere; and seeing no one, and not knowing where the
voice came from, cried out, 'Who calls me?'
Then the man in the tree answered, 'Lift up thine eyes, for behold here
I sit in the sack of wisdom; here have I, in a short time, learned great
and wondrous things. Compared to this seat, all the learning of the
schools is as empty air. A little longer, and I shall know all that man
can know, and shall come forth wiser than the wisest of mankind. Here
I discern the signs and motions of the heavens and the stars; the laws
that control the winds; the number of the sands on the seashore; the
healing of the sick; the virtues of all simples, of birds, and of
precious stones. Wert thou but once here, my friend, though wouldst
feel and own the power of knowledge.'
The student listened to all this and wondered much; at last he
said, 'Blessed be the day and hour when I found you; cannot you contrive
to let me into the sack for a little while?' Then the other answered,
as if very unwillingly, 'A little space I may allow thee to sit here,
if thou wilt reward me well and entreat me kindly; but thou must
tarry yet an hour below, till I have learnt some little matters that
are yet unknown to me.'
So the student sat himself down and waited a while; but the time
hung heavy upon him, and he begged earnestly that he might ascend
forthwith, for his thirst for knowledge was great. Then the other
pretended to give way, and said, 'Thou must let the sack of wisdom
descend, by untying yonder cord, and then thou shalt enter.' So the
student let him down, opened the sack, and set him free. 'Now then,'
cried he, 'let me ascend quickly.' As he began to put himself into the
sack heels first, 'Wait a while,' said the gardener, 'that is not the
way.' Then he pushed him in head first, tied up the sack, and soon
swung up the searcher after wisdom dangling in the air. 'How is it
with thee, friend?' said he, 'dost thou not feel that wisdom comes
unto thee? Rest there in peace, till thou art a wiser man than thou
wert.'
So saying, he trotted off on the student's nag, and left the poor
fellow to gather wisdom till somebody should come and let him down.
Clever Hans
The mother of Hans said: 'Whither away, Hans?' Hans answered: 'To
Gretel.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh, I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.'
'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day,
Hans. What do you bring that is good?' 'I bring nothing, I want to have
something given me.' Gretel presents Hans with a needle, Hans says:
'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.'
Hans takes the needle, sticks it into a hay-cart, and follows the
cart home. 'Good evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you
been?' 'With Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'Took nothing; had
something given me.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'Gave me a needle.'
'Where is the needle, Hans?' 'Stuck in the hay-cart.' 'That was ill
done, Hans. You should have stuck the needle in your sleeve.' 'Never
mind, I'll do better next time.'
'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh,
I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to
Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What do you bring that is
good?' 'I bring nothing. I want to have something given to me.' Gretel
presents Hans with a knife. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans
takes the knife, sticks it in his sleeve, and goes home. 'Good
evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' 'With
Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'Took her nothing, she gave me
something.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'Gave me a knife.' 'Where is
the knife, Hans?' 'Stuck in my sleeve.' 'That's ill done, Hans, you
should have put the knife in your pocket.' 'Never mind, will do
better next time.'
'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh,
I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to
Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What good thing do you
bring?' 'I bring nothing, I want something given me.' Gretel presents
Hans with a young goat. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans takes
the goat, ties its legs, and puts it in his pocket. When he gets home
it is suffocated. 'Good evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where
have you been?' 'With Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'Took nothing,
she gave me something.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'She gave me a
goat.' 'Where is the goat, Hans?' 'Put it in my pocket.' 'That was
ill done, Hans, you should have put a rope round the goat's neck.'
'Never mind, will do better next time.'
'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh,
I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to
Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What good thing do you
bring?' 'I bring nothing, I want something given me.' Gretel presents
Hans with a piece of bacon. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.'
Hans takes the bacon, ties it to a rope, and drags it away behind him.
The dogs come and devour the bacon. When he gets home, he has the rope
in his hand, and there is no longer anything hanging on to it. 'Good
evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' 'With
Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'I took her nothing, she gave me
something.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'Gave me a bit of bacon.'
'Where is the bacon, Hans?' 'I tied it to a rope, brought it home,
dogs took it.' 'That was ill done, Hans, you should have carried the
bacon on your head.' 'Never mind, will do better next time.'
'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.'
'I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to
Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans, What good thing do you
bring?' 'I bring nothing, but would have something given.' Gretel
presents Hans with a calf. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.'
Hans takes the calf, puts it on his head, and the calf kicks his
face. 'Good evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you
been?' 'With Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'I took nothing, but had
something given me.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'A calf.' 'Where
have you the calf, Hans?' 'I set it on my head and it kicked my
face.' 'That was ill done, Hans, you should have led the calf, and put
it in the stall.' 'Never mind, will do better next time.'
'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.'
'I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.'
Hans comes to Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What good
thing do you bring?' 'I bring nothing, but would have something given.'
Gretel says to Hans: 'I will go with you.'
Hans takes Gretel, ties her to a rope, leads her to the rack, and
binds her fast. Then Hans goes to his mother. 'Good evening,
mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' 'With Gretel.'
'What did you take her?' 'I took her nothing.' 'What did Gretel
give you?' 'She gave me nothing, she came with me.' 'Where have you
left Gretel?' 'I led her by the rope, tied her to the rack, and
scattered some grass for her.' 'That was ill done, Hans, you should
have cast friendly eyes on her.' 'Never mind, will do better.'
Hans went into the stable, cut out all the calves' and sheep's eyes,
and threw them in Gretel's face. Then Gretel became angry, tore herself
loose and ran away, and was no longer the bride of Hans.
The Three Languages
An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he
was stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father: 'Hark you, my
son, try as I will I can get nothing into your head. You must go from
hence, I will give you into the care of a celebrated master, who shall
see what he can do with you.' The youth was sent into a strange town,
and remained a whole year with the master. At the end of this time, he
came home again, and his father asked: 'Now, my son, what have you
learnt?' 'Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they bark.'
'Lord have mercy on us!' cried the father; 'is that all you have
learnt? I will send you into another town, to another master.' The
youth was taken thither, and stayed a year with this master likewise.
When he came back the father again asked: 'My son, what have you
learnt?' He answered: 'Father, I have learnt what the birds say.' Then
the father fell into a rage and said: 'Oh, you lost man, you have spent
the precious time and learnt nothing; are you not ashamed to appear
before my eyes? I will send you to a third master, but if you learn
nothing this time also, I will no longer be your father.' The youth
remained a whole year with the third master also, and when he came
home again, and his father inquired: 'My son, what have you
learnt?' he answered: 'Dear father, I have this year learnt what the
frogs croak.' Then the father fell into the most furious anger,
sprang up, called his people thither, and said: 'This man is no
longer my son, I drive him forth, and command you to take him out
into the forest, and kill him.' They took him forth, but when they
should have killed him, they could not do it for pity, and let him go,
and they cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they might carry
them to the old man as a token.
The youth wandered on, and after some time came to a fortress where
he begged for a night's lodging. 'Yes,' said the lord of the castle, 'if
you will pass the night down there in the old tower, go thither; but I
warn you, it is at the peril of your life, for it is full of wild dogs,
which bark and howl without stopping, and at certain hours a man has to
be given to them, whom they at once devour.' The whole district was in
sorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do anything to
stop this. The youth, however, was without fear, and said: 'Just let
me go down to the barking dogs, and give me something that I can throw
to them; they will do nothing to harm me.' As he himself would have it
so, they gave him some food for the wild animals, and led him down to
the tower. When he went inside, the dogs did not bark at him, but
wagged their tails quite amicably around him, ate what he set before
them, and did not hurt one hair of his head. Next morning, to the
astonishment of everyone, he came out again safe and unharmed, and said
to the lord of the castle: 'The dogs have revealed to me, in their own
language, why they dwell there, and bring evil on the land. They are
bewitched, and are obliged to watch over a great treasure which is
below in the tower, and they can have no rest until it is taken away,
and I have likewise learnt, from their discourse, how that is to be
done.' Then all who heard this rejoiced, and the lord of the castle
said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished it
successfully. He went down again, and as he knew what he had to do, he
did it thoroughly, and brought a chest full of gold out with him. The
howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more; they had
disappeared, and the country was freed from the trouble.
After some time he took it in his head that he would travel to Rome.
On the way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were
sitting croaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of what
they were saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived
in Rome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great doubt among
the cardinals as to whom they should appoint as his successor. They at
length agreed that the person should be chosen as pope who should be
distinguished by some divine and miraculous token. And just as that
was decided on, the young count entered into the church, and suddenly
two snow-white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting
there. The ecclesiastics recognized therein the token from above, and
asked him on the spot if he would be pope. He was undecided, and
knew not if he were worthy of this, but the doves counselled him to
do it, and at length he said yes. Then was he anointed and
consecrated, and thus was fulfilled what he had heard from the frogs
on his way, which had so affected him, that he was to be his
Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know one
word of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders, and said
it all in his ear.
The Fox And The Cat
It happened that the cat met the fox in a forest, and as she thought
to herself: 'He is clever and full of experience, and much esteemed in
the world,' she spoke to him in a friendly way. 'Good day, dear Mr
Fox, how are you? How is all with you? How are you getting on in these
hard times?' The fox, full of all kinds of arrogance, looked at the
cat from head to foot, and for a long time did not know whether he
would give any answer or not. At last he said: 'Oh, you wretched
beard-cleaner, you piebald fool, you hungry mouse-hunter, what can you
be thinking of? Have you the cheek to ask how I am getting on? What
have you learnt? How many arts do you understand?' 'I understand but
one,' replied the cat, modestly. 'What art is that?' asked the fox.
'When the hounds are following me, I can spring into a tree and save
myself.' 'Is that all?' said the fox. 'I am master of a hundred arts,
and have into the bargain a sackful of cunning. You make me sorry for
you; come with me, I will teach you how people get away from the
hounds.' Just then came a hunter with four dogs. The cat sprang nimbly
up a tree, and sat down at the top of it, where the branches and
foliage quite concealed her. 'Open your sack, Mr Fox, open your sack,'
cried the cat to him, but the dogs had already seized him, and were
holding him fast. 'Ah, Mr Fox,' cried the cat. 'You with your hundred
arts are left in the lurch! Had you been able to climb like me, you
would not have lost your life.'
The Four Clever Brothers
'Dear children,' said a poor man to his four sons, 'I have nothing to
give you; you must go out into the wide world and try your luck.
Begin by learning some craft or another, and see how you can get on.'
So the four brothers took their walking-sticks in their hands, and
their little bundles on their shoulders, and after bidding their
father goodbye, went all out at the gate together. When they had got
on some way they came to four crossways, each leading to a different
country. Then the eldest said, 'Here we must part; but this day four
years we will come back to this spot, and in the meantime each must
try what he can do for himself.'
So each brother went his way; and as the eldest was hastening on a man
met him, and asked him where he was going, and what he wanted. 'I am
going to try my luck in the world, and should like to begin by learning
some art or trade,' answered he. 'Then,' said the man, 'go with me, and
I will teach you to become the cunningest thief that ever was.' 'No,'
said the other, 'that is not an honest calling, and what can one look
to earn by it in the end but the gallows?' 'Oh!' said the man, 'you need
not fear the gallows; for I will only teach you to steal what will be
fair game: I meddle with nothing but what no one else can get or care
anything about, and where no one can find you out.' So the young man
agreed to follow his trade, and he soon showed himself so clever, that
nothing could escape him that he had once set his mind upon.
The second brother also met a man, who, when he found out what he
was setting out upon, asked him what craft he meant to follow. 'I do not
know yet,' said he. 'Then come with me, and be a star-gazer. It is a
noble art, for nothing can be hidden from you, when once you understand
the stars.' The plan pleased him much, and he soon became such a
skilful star-gazer, that when he had served out his time, and wanted
to leave his master, he gave him a glass, and said, 'With this you can
see all that is passing in the sky and on earth, and nothing can be
hidden from you.'
The third brother met a huntsman, who took him with him, and taught him
so well all that belonged to hunting, that he became very clever in the
craft of the woods; and when he left his master he gave him a bow,
and said, 'Whatever you shoot at with this bow you will be sure to
hit.'
The youngest brother likewise met a man who asked him what he wished
to do. 'Would not you like,' said he, 'to be a tailor?' 'Oh, no!' said
the young man; 'sitting cross-legged from morning to night, working
backwards and forwards with a needle and goose, will never suit me.'
'Oh!' answered the man, 'that is not my sort of tailoring; come with
me, and you will learn quite another kind of craft from that.' Not
knowing what better to do, he came into the plan, and learnt
tailoring from the beginning; and when he left his master, he gave
him a needle, and said, 'You can sew anything with this, be it as
soft as an egg or as hard as steel; and the joint will be so fine that
no seam will be seen.'
After the space of four years, at the time agreed upon, the four
brothers met at the four cross-roads; and having welcomed each
other, set off towards their father's home, where they told him all
that had happened to them, and how each had learned some craft.
Then, one day, as they were sitting before the house under a very
high tree, the father said, 'I should like to try what each of you can
do in this way.' So he looked up, and said to the second son, 'At
the top of this tree there is a chaffinch's nest; tell me how many eggs
there are in it.' The star-gazer took his glass, looked up, and said,
'Five.' 'Now,' said the father to the eldest son, 'take away the eggs
without letting the bird that is sitting upon them and hatching them
know anything of what you are doing.' So the cunning thief climbed up
the tree, and brought away to his father the five eggs from under the
bird; and it never saw or felt what he was doing, but kept sitting on
at its ease. Then the father took the eggs, and put one on each corner
of the table, and the fifth in the middle, and said to the huntsman,
'Cut all the eggs in two pieces at one shot.' The huntsman took up his
bow, and at one shot struck all the five eggs as his father wished.
'Now comes your turn,' said he to the young tailor; 'sew the eggs and
the young birds in them together again, so neatly that the shot shall
have done them no harm.' Then the tailor took his needle, and sewed the
eggs as he was told; and when he had done, the thief was sent to take
them back to the nest, and put them under the bird without its
knowing it. Then she went on sitting, and hatched them: and in a few
days they crawled out, and had only a little red streak across their
necks, where the tailor had sewn them together.
'Well done, sons!' said the old man; 'you have made good use of your
time, and learnt something worth the knowing; but I am sure I do not
know which ought to have the prize. Oh, that a time might soon come
for you to turn your skill to some account!'
Not long after this there was a great bustle in the country; for
the king's daughter had been carried off by a mighty dragon, and the
king mourned over his loss day and night, and made it known that
whoever brought her back to him should have her for a wife. Then the
four brothers said to each other, 'Here is a chance for us; let us try
what we can do.' And they agreed to see whether they could not set
the princess free. 'I will soon find out where she is, however,'
said the star-gazer, as he looked through his glass; and he soon
cried out, 'I see her afar off, sitting upon a rock in the sea,
and I can spy the dragon close by, guarding her.' Then he went to
the king, and asked for a ship for himself and his brothers; and they
sailed together over the sea, till they came to the right place. There
they found the princess sitting, as the star-gazer had said, on the
rock; and the dragon was lying asleep, with his head upon her lap. 'I
dare not shoot at him,' said the huntsman, 'for I should kill the
beautiful young lady also.' 'Then I will try my skill,' said the
thief, and went and stole her away from under the dragon, so quietly
and gently that the beast did not know it, but went on snoring.
Then away they hastened with her full of joy in their boat towards
the ship; but soon came the dragon roaring behind them through the air;
for he awoke and missed the princess. But when he got over the boat,
and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess, the
huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so
that he fell down dead. They were still not safe; for he was such a
great beast that in his fall he overset the boat, and they had to
swim in the open sea upon a few planks. So the tailor took his
needle, and with a few large stitches put some of the planks together;
and he sat down upon these, and sailed about and gathered up all pieces
of the boat; and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat
was soon ready, and they then reached the ship and got home safe.
When they had brought home the princess to her father, there was
great rejoicing; and he said to the four brothers, 'One of you shall
marry her, but you must settle amongst yourselves which it is to
be.' Then there arose a quarrel between them; and the star-gazer said,
'If I had not found the princess out, all your skill would have been of
no use; therefore she ought to be mine.' 'Your seeing her would have
been of no use,' said the thief, 'if I had not taken her away from the
dragon; therefore she ought to be mine.' 'No, she is mine,' said the
huntsman; 'for if I had not killed the dragon, he would, after all,
have torn you and the princess into pieces.' 'And if I had not sewn
the boat together again,' said the tailor, 'you would all have been
drowned, therefore she is mine.' Then the king put in a word, and said,
'Each of you is right; and as all cannot have the young lady, the
best way is for neither of you to have her: for the truth is, there is
somebody she likes a great deal better. But to make up for your loss, I
will give each of you, as a reward for his skill, half a kingdom.' So
the brothers agreed that this plan would be much better than either
quarrelling or marrying a lady who had no mind to have them. And the
king then gave to each half a kingdom, as he had said; and they lived
very happily the rest of their days, and took good care of their
father; and somebody took better care of the young lady, than to
let either the dragon or one of the craftsmen have her again.
Lily And The Lion
A merchant, who had three daughters, was once setting out upon a
journey; but before he went he asked each daughter what gift he should
bring back for her. The eldest wished for pearls; the second for
jewels; but the third, who was called Lily, said, 'Dear father, bring
me a rose.' Now it was no easy task to find a rose, for it was the
middle of winter; yet as she was his prettiest daughter, and was very
fond of flowers, her father said he would try what he could do. So he
kissed all three, and bid them goodbye.
And when the time came for him to go home, he had bought pearls and
jewels for the two eldest, but he had sought everywhere in vain for the
rose; and when he went into any garden and asked for such a thing,
the people laughed at him, and asked him whether he thought roses grew
in snow. This grieved him very much, for Lily was his dearest
child; and as he was journeying home, thinking what he should bring
her, he came to a fine castle; and around the castle was a garden, in
one half of which it seemed to be summer-time and in the other half
winter. On one side the finest flowers were in full bloom, and on the
other everything looked dreary and buried in the snow. 'A lucky hit!'
said he, as he called to his servant, and told him to go to a beautiful
bed of roses that was there, and bring him away one of the finest
flowers.
This done, they were riding away well pleased, when up sprang a
fierce lion, and roared out, 'Whoever has stolen my roses shall be
eaten up alive!' Then the man said, 'I knew not that the garden
belonged to you; can nothing save my life?' 'No!' said the lion,
'nothing, unless you undertake to give me whatever meets you on your
return home; if you agree to this, I will give you your life, and the
rose too for your daughter.' But the man was unwilling to do so and
said, 'It may be my youngest daughter, who loves me most, and always
runs to meet me when I go home.' Then the servant was greatly
frightened, and said, 'It may perhaps be only a cat or a dog.' And at
last the man yielded with a heavy heart, and took the rose; and said he
would give the lion whatever should meet him first on his return.
And as he came near home, it was Lily, his youngest and dearest
daughter, that met him; she came running, and kissed him, and welcomed
him home; and when she saw that he had brought her the rose, she was
still more glad. But her father began to be very sorrowful, and to
weep, saying, 'Alas, my dearest child! I have bought this flower at a
high price, for I have said I would give you to a wild lion; and when
he has you, he will tear you in pieces, and eat you.' Then he told her
all that had happened, and said she should not go, let what would
happen.
But she comforted him, and said, 'Dear father, the word you have
given must be kept; I will go to the lion, and soothe him: perhaps he
will let me come safe home again.'
The next morning she asked the way she was to go, and took leave of
her father, and went forth with a bold heart into the wood. But the
lion was an enchanted prince. By day he and all his court were lions,
but in the evening they took their right forms again. And when Lily
came to the castle, he welcomed her so courteously that she agreed to
marry him. The wedding-feast was held, and they lived happily together
a long time. The prince was only to be seen as soon as evening came,
and then he held his court; but every morning he left his bride, and
went away by himself, she knew not whither, till the night came again.
After some time he said to her, 'Tomorrow there will be a great feast
in your father's house, for your eldest sister is to be married; and if
you wish to go and visit her my lions shall lead you thither.'
Then she rejoiced much at the thoughts of seeing her father once more,
and set out with the lions; and everyone was overjoyed to see her,
for they had thought her dead long since. But she told them how
happy she was, and stayed till the feast was over, and then went back
to the wood.
Her second sister was soon after married, and when Lily was asked to go
to the wedding, she said to the prince, 'I will not go alone this
time--you must go with me.' But he would not, and said that it would
be a very hazardous thing; for if the least ray of the torch-light
should fall upon him his enchantment would become still worse, for he
should be changed into a dove, and be forced to wander about the world
for seven long years. However, she gave him no rest, and said she
would take care no light should fall upon him. So at last they set out
together, and took with them their little child; and she chose a large
hall with thick walls for him to sit in while the wedding-torches were
lighted; but, unluckily, no one saw that there was a crack in the
door. Then the wedding was held with great pomp, but as the train came
from the church, and passed with the torches before the hall, a very
small ray of light fell upon the prince. In a moment he disappeared,
and when his wife came in and looked for him, she found only a white
dove; and it said to her, 'Seven years must I fly up and down over
the face of the earth, but every now and then I will let fall a
white feather, that will show you the way I am going; follow it, and
at last you may overtake and set me free.'
This said, he flew out at the door, and poor Lily followed; and every
now and then a white feather fell, and showed her the way she was to
journey. Thus she went roving on through the wide world, and looked
neither to the right hand nor to the left, nor took any rest, for
seven years. Then she began to be glad, and thought to herself that
the time was fast coming when all her troubles should end; yet repose
was still far off, for one day as she was travelling on she missed
the white feather, and when she lifted up her eyes she could nowhere
see the dove. 'Now,' thought she to herself, 'no aid of man can be of
use to me.' So she went to the sun and said, 'Thou shinest
everywhere, on the hill's top and the valley's depth--hast thou
anywhere seen my white dove?' 'No,' said the sun, 'I have not seen it;
but I will give thee a casket--open it when thy hour of need comes.'
So she thanked the sun, and went on her way till eventide; and when
the moon arose, she cried unto it, and said, 'Thou shinest through the
night, over field and grove--hast thou nowhere seen my white dove?'
'No,' said the moon, 'I cannot help thee but I will give thee an
egg--break it when need comes.'
Then she thanked the moon, and went on till the night-wind blew; and
she raised up her voice to it, and said, 'Thou blowest through every
tree and under every leaf--hast thou not seen my white dove?'
'No,' said the night-wind, 'but I will ask three other winds; perhaps
they have seen it.' Then the east wind and the west wind came, and said
they too had not seen it, but the south wind said, 'I have seen the
white dove--he has fled to the Red Sea, and is changed once more into a
lion, for the seven years are passed away, and there he is fighting with
a dragon; and the dragon is an enchanted princess, who seeks to
separate him from you.' Then the night-wind said, 'I will give
thee counsel. Go to the Red Sea; on the right shore stand many
rods--count them, and when thou comest to the eleventh, break it
off, and smite the dragon with it; and so the lion will have the
victory, and both of them will appear to you in their own forms. Then
look round and thou wilt see a griffin, winged like bird, sitting by
the Red Sea; jump on to his back with thy beloved one as quickly
as possible, and he will carry you over the waters to your home. I will
also give thee this nut,' continued the night-wind. 'When you are
half-way over, throw it down, and out of the waters will immediately
spring up a high nut-tree on which the griffin will be able to
rest, otherwise he would not have the strength to bear you the whole
way; if, therefore, thou dost forget to throw down the nut, he will
let you both fall into the sea.'
So our poor wanderer went forth, and found all as the night-wind had
said; and she plucked the eleventh rod, and smote the dragon, and
the lion forthwith became a prince, and the dragon a princess again.
But no sooner was the princess released from the spell, than she
seized the prince by the arm and sprang on to the griffin's back, and
went off carrying the prince away with her.
Thus the unhappy traveller was again forsaken and forlorn; but she
took heart and said, 'As far as the wind blows, and so long as the cock
crows, I will journey on, till I find him once again.' She went on for
a long, long way, till at length she came to the castle whither the
princess had carried the prince; and there was a feast got ready, and
she heard that the wedding was about to be held. 'Heaven aid me now!'
said she; and she took the casket that the sun had given her, and found
that within it lay a dress as dazzling as the sun itself. So she put it
on, and went into the palace, and all the people gazed upon her; and
the dress pleased the bride so much that she asked whether it was to
be sold. 'Not for gold and silver.' said she, 'but for flesh and
blood.' The princess asked what she meant, and she said, 'Let me speak
with the bridegroom this night in his chamber, and I will give thee the
dress.' At last the princess agreed, but she told her chamberlain to
give the prince a sleeping draught, that he might not hear or see
her. When evening came, and the prince had fallen asleep, she was led
into his chamber, and she sat herself down at his feet, and said: 'I
have followed thee seven years. I have been to the sun, the moon, and
the night-wind, to seek thee, and at last I have helped thee to overcome
the dragon. Wilt thou then forget me quite?' But the prince all the
time slept so soundly, that her voice only passed over him, and
seemed like the whistling of the wind among the fir-trees.
Then poor Lily was led away, and forced to give up the golden dress;
and when she saw that there was no help for her, she went out into a
meadow, and sat herself down and wept. But as she sat she bethought
herself of the egg that the moon had given her; and when she broke it,
there ran out a hen and twelve chickens of pure gold, that played
about, and then nestled under the old one's wings, so as to form the
most beautiful sight in the world. And she rose up and drove them
before her, till the bride saw them from her window, and was so pleased
that she came forth and asked her if she would sell the brood. 'Not
for gold or silver, but for flesh and blood: let me again this
evening speak with the bridegroom in his chamber, and I will give thee
the whole brood.'
Then the princess thought to betray her as before, and agreed to what
she asked: but when the prince went to his chamber he asked the
chamberlain why the wind had whistled so in the night. And the
chamberlain told him all--how he had given him a sleeping draught,
and how a poor maiden had come and spoken to him in his chamber, and
was to come again that night. Then the prince took care to throw away
the sleeping draught; and when Lily came and began again to tell him
what woes had befallen her, and how faithful and true to him she had
been, he knew his beloved wife's voice, and sprang up, and said, 'You
have awakened me as from a dream, for the strange princess had thrown
a spell around me, so that I had altogether forgotten you; but Heaven
hath sent you to me in a lucky hour.'
And they stole away out of the palace by night unawares, and
seated themselves on the griffin, who flew back with them over the Red
Sea. When they were half-way across Lily let the nut fall into the
water, and immediately a large nut-tree arose from the sea, whereon
the griffin rested for a while, and then carried them safely home.
There they found their child, now grown up to be comely and fair;
and after all their troubles they lived happily together to the end of
their days.
The Fox And The Horse
A farmer had a horse that had been an excellent faithful servant to
him: but he was now grown too old to work; so the farmer would give him
nothing more to eat, and said, 'I want you no longer, so take yourself
off out of my stable; I shall not take you back again until you are
stronger than a lion.' Then he opened the door and turned him adrift.
The poor horse was very melancholy, and wandered up and down in the
wood, seeking some little shelter from the cold wind and rain.
Presently a fox met him: 'What's the matter, my friend?' said he,
'why do you hang down your head and look so lonely and woe-begone?'
'Ah!' replied the horse, 'justice and avarice never dwell in one
house; my master has forgotten all that I have done for him so many
years, and because I can no longer work he has turned me adrift, and
says unless I become stronger than a lion he will not take me back
again; what chance can I have of that? he knows I have none, or he
would not talk so.'
However, the fox bid him be of good cheer, and said, 'I will help you;
lie down there, stretch yourself out quite stiff, and pretend to be
dead.' The horse did as he was told, and the fox went straight to the
lion who lived in a cave close by, and said to him, 'A little way off
lies a dead horse; come with me and you may make an excellent meal of
his carcase.' The lion was greatly pleased, and set off immediately;
and when they came to the horse, the fox said, 'You will not be able
to eat him comfortably here; I'll tell you what--I will tie you fast to
his tail, and then you can draw him to your den, and eat him at your
leisure.'
This advice pleased the lion, so he laid himself down quietly for the
fox to make him fast to the horse. But the fox managed to tie his
legs together and bound all so hard and fast that with all his
strength he could not set himself free. When the work was done, the
fox clapped the horse on the shoulder, and said, 'Jip! Dobbin! Jip!'
Then up he sprang, and moved off, dragging the lion behind him. The
beast began to roar and bellow, till all the birds of the wood flew
away for fright; but the horse let him sing on, and made his way quietly
over the fields to his master's house.
'Here he is, master,' said he, 'I have got the better of him': and
when the farmer saw his old servant, his heart relented, and he said.
'Thou shalt stay in thy stable and be well taken care of.' And so the
poor old horse had plenty to eat, and lived--till he died.
The Blue Light
There was once upon a time a soldier who for many years had served
the king faithfully, but when the war came to an end could serve no
longer because of the many wounds which he had received. The king said
to him: 'You may return to your home, I need you no longer, and
you will not receive any more money, for he only receives wages who
renders me service for them.' Then the soldier did not know how to
earn a living, went away greatly troubled, and walked the whole day,
until in the evening he entered a forest. When darkness came on, he
saw a light, which he went up to, and came to a house wherein lived a
witch. 'Do give me one night's lodging, and a little to eat and
drink,' said he to her, 'or I shall starve.' 'Oho!' she answered,
'who gives anything to a run-away soldier? Yet will I be
compassionate, and take you in, if you will do what I wish.' 'What do
you wish?' said the soldier. 'That you should dig all round my garden
for me, tomorrow.' The soldier consented, and next day laboured with
all his strength, but could not finish it by the evening. 'I see well
enough,' said the witch, 'that you can do no more today, but I will
keep you yet another night, in payment for which you must tomorrow
chop me a load of wood, and chop it small.' The soldier spent the whole
day in doing it, and in the evening the witch proposed that he should
stay one night more. 'Tomorrow, you shall only do me a very
trifling piece of work. Behind my house, there is an old dry well,
into which my light has fallen, it burns blue, and never goes out, and
you shall bring it up again.' Next day the old woman took him to the
well, and let him down in a basket. He found the blue light, and made
her a signal to draw him up again. She did draw him up, but when he
came near the edge, she stretched down her hand and wanted to take the
blue light away from him. 'No,' said he, perceiving her evil intention,
'I will not give you the light until I am standing with both feet
upon the ground.' The witch fell into a passion, let him fall again
into the well, and went away.
The poor soldier fell without injury on the moist ground, and the
blue light went on burning, but of what use was that to him? He saw
very well that he could not escape death. He sat for a while very
sorrowfully, then suddenly he felt in his pocket and found his tobacco
pipe, which was still half full. 'This shall be my last pleasure,'
thought he, pulled it out, lit it at the blue light and began to
smoke. When the smoke had circled about the cavern, suddenly a
little black dwarf stood before him, and said: 'Lord, what are your
commands?' 'What my commands are?' replied the soldier, quite
astonished. 'I must do everything you bid me,' said the little man.
'Good,' said the soldier; 'then in the first place help me out of this
well.' The little man took him by the hand, and led him through an
underground passage, but he did not forget to take the blue light
with him. On the way the dwarf showed him the treasures which the
witch had collected and hidden there, and the soldier took as much gold
as he could carry. When he was above, he said to the little man: 'Now
go and bind the old witch, and carry her before the judge.' In a
short time she came by like the wind, riding on a wild tom-cat and
screaming frightfully. Nor was it long before the little man reappeared.
'It is all done,' said he, 'and the witch is already hanging on the
gallows. What further commands has my lord?' inquired the dwarf. 'At
this moment, none,' answered the soldier; 'you can return home, only
be at hand immediately, if I summon you.' 'Nothing more is needed
than that you should light your pipe at the blue light, and I will
appear before you at once.' Thereupon he vanished from his sight.
The soldier returned to the town from which he came. He went to the
best inn, ordered himself handsome clothes, and then bade the landlord
furnish him a room as handsome as possible. When it was ready and the
soldier had taken possession of it, he summoned the little black
manikin and said: 'I have served the king faithfully, but he has
dismissed me, and left me to hunger, and now I want to take my
revenge.' 'What am I to do?' asked the little man. 'Late at night, when
the king's daughter is in bed, bring her here in her sleep, she shall
do servant's work for me.' The manikin said: 'That is an easy thing for
me to do, but a very dangerous thing for you, for if it is
discovered, you will fare ill.' When twelve o'clock had struck, the
door sprang open, and the manikin carried in the princess. 'Aha! are
you there?' cried the soldier, 'get to your work at once! Fetch the
broom and sweep the chamber.' When she had done this, he ordered her
to come to his chair, and then he stretched out his feet and said:
'Pull off my boots,' and then he threw them in her face, and made her
pick them up again, and clean and brighten them. She, however, did
everything he bade her, without opposition, silently and with
half-shut eyes. When the first cock crowed, the manikin carried her
back to the royal palace, and laid her in her bed.
Next morning when the princess arose she went to her father, and told
him that she had had a very strange dream. 'I was carried through the
streets with the rapidity of lightning,' said she, 'and taken into a
soldier's room, and I had to wait upon him like a servant, sweep his
room, clean his boots, and do all kinds of menial work. It was only a
dream, and yet I am just as tired as if I really had done
everything.' 'The dream may have been true,' said the king. 'I will
give you a piece of advice. Fill your pocket full of peas, and make a
small hole in the pocket, and then if you are carried away again,
they will fall out and leave a track in the streets.' But unseen by
the king, the manikin was standing beside him when he said that, and
heard all. At night when the sleeping princess was again carried through
the streets, some peas certainly did fall out of her pocket, but
they made no track, for the crafty manikin had just before scattered
peas in every street there was. And again the princess was
compelled to do servant's work until cock-crow.
Next morning the king sent his people out to seek the track, but it
was all in vain, for in every street poor children were sitting,
picking up peas, and saying: 'It must have rained peas, last night.'
'We must think of something else,' said the king; 'keep your shoes on
when you go to bed, and before you come back from the place where you
are taken, hide one of them there, I will soon contrive to find it.'
The black manikin heard this plot, and at night when the soldier
again ordered him to bring the princess, revealed it to him, and
told him that he knew of no expedient to counteract this stratagem,
and that if the shoe were found in the soldier's house it would
go badly with him. 'Do what I bid you,' replied the soldier, and again
this third night the princess was obliged to work like a servant, but
before she went away, she hid her shoe under the bed.
Next morning the king had the entire town searched for his
daughter's shoe. It was found at the soldier's, and the soldier
himself, who at the entreaty of the dwarf had gone outside the gate,
was soon brought back, and thrown into prison. In his flight he had
forgotten the most valuable things he had, the blue light and the gold,
and had only one ducat in his pocket. And now loaded with chains, he
was standing at the window of his dungeon, when he chanced to see
one of his comrades passing by. The soldier tapped at the pane of
glass, and when this man came up, said to him: 'Be so kind as to fetch
me the small bundle I have left lying in the inn, and I will give you
a ducat for doing it.' His comrade ran thither and brought him what he
wanted. As soon as the soldier was alone again, he lighted his pipe and
summoned the black manikin. 'Have no fear,' said the latter to his
master. 'Go wheresoever they take you, and let them do what they will,
only take the blue light with you.' Next day the soldier was tried,
and though he had done nothing wicked, the judge condemned him to
death. When he was led forth to die, he begged a last favour of the
king. 'What is it?' asked the king. 'That I may smoke one more pipe on
my way.' 'You may smoke three,' answered the king, 'but do not imagine
that I will spare your life.' Then the soldier pulled out his pipe and
lighted it at the blue light, and as soon as a few wreaths of smoke
had ascended, the manikin was there with a small cudgel in his hand,
and said: 'What does my lord command?' 'Strike down to earth that
false judge there, and his constable, and spare not the king who
has treated me so ill.' Then the manikin fell on them like lightning,
darting this way and that way, and whosoever was so much as touched by
his cudgel fell to earth, and did not venture to stir again. The king
was terrified; he threw himself on the soldier's mercy, and merely to
be allowed to live at all, gave him his kingdom for his own, and his
daughter to wife.
The Raven
There was once a queen who had a little daughter, still too young to
run alone. One day the child was very troublesome, and the mother
could not quiet it, do what she would. She grew impatient, and
seeing the ravens flying round the castle, she opened the window, and
said: 'I wish you were a raven and would fly away, then I should have a
little peace.' Scarcely were the words out of her mouth, when the
child in her arms was turned into a raven, and flew away from her
through the open window. The bird took its flight to a dark wood and
remained there for a long time, and meanwhile the parents could hear
nothing of their child.
Long after this, a man was making his way through the wood when he heard
a raven calling, and he followed the sound of the voice. As he drew
near, the raven said, 'I am by birth a king's daughter, but am now
under the spell of some enchantment; you can, however, set me free.'
'What am I to do?' he asked. She replied, 'Go farther into the wood
until you come to a house, wherein lives an old woman; she will offer
you food and drink, but you must not take of either; if you do, you
will fall into a deep sleep, and will not be able to help me. In the
garden behind the house is a large tan-heap, and on that you must stand
and watch for me. I shall drive there in my carriage at two o'clock in
the afternoon for three successive days; the first day it will be drawn
by four white, the second by four chestnut, and the last by four black
horses; but if you fail to keep awake and I find you sleeping, I
shall not be set free.'
The man promised to do all that she wished, but the raven said, 'Alas!
I know even now that you will take something from the woman and be
unable to save me.' The man assured her again that he would on no
account touch a thing to eat or drink.
When he came to the house and went inside, the old woman met him,
and said, 'Poor man! how tired you are! Come in and rest and let me
give you something to eat and drink.'
'No,' answered the man, 'I will neither eat not drink.'
But she would not leave him alone, and urged him saying, 'If you will
not eat anything, at least you might take a draught of wine; one drink
counts for nothing,' and at last he allowed himself to be persuaded, and
drank.
As it drew towards the appointed hour, he went outside into the garden
and mounted the tan-heap to await the raven. Suddenly a feeling of
fatigue came over him, and unable to resist it, he lay down for a
little while, fully determined, however, to keep awake; but in another
minute his eyes closed of their own accord, and he fell into such a
deep sleep, that all the noises in the world would not have awakened
him. At two o'clock the raven came driving along, drawn by her four
white horses; but even before she reached the spot, she said to
herself, sighing, 'I know he has fallen asleep.' When she entered the
garden, there she found him as she had feared, lying on the
tan-heap, fast asleep. She got out of her carriage and went to him;
she called him and shook him, but it was all in vain, he still
continued sleeping.
The next day at noon, the old woman came to him again with food and
drink which he at first refused. At last, overcome by her persistent
entreaties that he would take something, he lifted the glass and drank
again.
Towards two o'clock he went into the garden and on to the tan-heap
to watch for the raven. He had not been there long before he began to
feel so tired that his limbs seemed hardly able to support him, and he
could not stand upright any longer; so again he lay down and fell
fast asleep. As the raven drove along her four chestnut horses, she
said sorrowfully to herself, 'I know he has fallen asleep.' She went
as before to look for him, but he slept, and it was impossible to
awaken him.
The following day the old woman said to him, 'What is this? You are
not eating or drinking anything, do you want to kill yourself?'
He answered, 'I may not and will not either eat or drink.'
But she put down the dish of food and the glass of wine in front of
him, and when he smelt the wine, he was unable to resist the
temptation, and took a deep draught.
When the hour came round again he went as usual on to the tan-heap in
the garden to await the king's daughter, but he felt even more overcome
with weariness than on the two previous days, and throwing himself
down, he slept like a log. At two o'clock the raven could be seen
approaching, and this time her coachman and everything about her, as
well as her horses, were black.
She was sadder than ever as she drove along, and said mournfully, 'I
know he has fallen asleep, and will not be able to set me free.' She
found him sleeping heavily, and all her efforts to awaken him were of
no avail. Then she placed beside him a loaf, and some meat, and a flask
of wine, of such a kind, that however much he took of them, they
would never grow less. After that she drew a gold ring, on which her
name was engraved, off her finger, and put it upon one of his.
Finally, she laid a letter near him, in which, after giving him
particulars of the food and drink she had left for him, she finished
with the following words: 'I see that as long as you remain here you
will never be able to set me free; if, however, you still wish to do
so, come to the golden castle of Stromberg; this is well within your
power to accomplish.' She then returned to her carriage and drove to
the golden castle of Stromberg.
When the man awoke and found that he had been sleeping, he was grieved
at heart, and said, 'She has no doubt been here and driven away again,
and it is now too late for me to save her.' Then his eyes fell on
the things which were lying beside him; he read the letter, and knew
from it all that had happened. He rose up without delay, eager to start
on his way and to reach the castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea
in which direction he ought to go. He travelled about a long time in
search of it and came at last to a dark forest, through which he went
on walking for fourteen days and still could not find a way out. Once
more the night came on, and worn out he lay down under a bush and
fell asleep. Again the next day he pursued his way through the
forest, and that evening, thinking to rest again, he lay down as
before, but he heard such a howling and wailing that he found it
impossible to sleep. He waited till it was darker and people had begun
to light up their houses, and then seeing a little glimmer ahead of him,
he went towards it.
He found that the light came from a house which looked smaller than
it really was, from the contrast of its height with that of an immense
giant who stood in front of it. He thought to himself, 'If the giant
sees me going in, my life will not be worth much.' However, after
a while he summoned up courage and went forward. When the giant saw
him, he called out, 'It is lucky for that you have come, for I have
not had anything to eat for a long time. I can have you now for my
supper.' 'I would rather you let that alone,' said the man, 'for I do
not willingly give myself up to be eaten; if you are wanting food I
have enough to satisfy your hunger.' 'If that is so,' replied the
giant, 'I will leave you in peace; I only thought of eating you because
I had nothing else.'
So they went indoors together and sat down, and the man brought out
the bread, meat, and wine, which although he had eaten and drunk of
them, were still unconsumed. The giant was pleased with the good cheer,
and ate and drank to his heart's content. When he had finished his
supper the man asked him if he could direct him to the castle of
Stromberg. The giant said, 'I will look on my map; on it are marked
all the towns, villages, and houses.' So he fetched his map, and
looked for the castle, but could not find it. 'Never mind,' he said,
'I have larger maps upstairs in the cupboard, we will look on
those,' but they searched in vain, for the castle was not marked
even on these. The man now thought he should like to continue his
journey, but the giant begged him to remain for a day or two longer
until the return of his brother, who was away in search of
provisions. When the brother came home, they asked him about the castle
of Stromberg, and he told them he would look on his own maps as soon
as he had eaten and appeased his hunger. Accordingly, when he had
finished his supper, they all went up together to his room and looked
through his maps, but the castle was not to be found. Then he fetched
other older maps, and they went on looking for the castle until at
last they found it, but it was many thousand miles away. 'How shall I
be able to get there?' asked the man. 'I have two hours to spare,'
said the giant, 'and I will carry you into the neighbourhood of the
castle; I must then return to look after the child who is in our care.'
The giant, thereupon, carried the man to within about a hundred leagues
of the castle, where he left him, saying, 'You will be able to walk
the remainder of the way yourself.' The man journeyed on day and night
till he reached the golden castle of Stromberg. He found it situated,
however, on a glass mountain, and looking up from the foot he saw the
enchanted maiden drive round her castle and then go inside. He was
overjoyed to see her, and longed to get to the top of the mountain,
but the sides were so slippery that every time he attempted to climb
he fell back again. When he saw that it was impossible to reach her, he
was greatly grieved, and said to himself, 'I will remain here and wait
for her,' so he built himself a little hut, and there he sat and
watched for a whole year, and every day he saw the king's daughter
driving round her castle, but still was unable to get nearer to her.
Looking out from his hut one day he saw three robbers fighting and
he called out to them, 'God be with you.' They stopped when they heard
the call, but looking round and seeing nobody, they went on again with
their fighting, which now became more furious. 'God be with you,'
he cried again, and again they paused and looked about, but seeing no
one went back to their fighting. A third time he called out, 'God be
with you,' and then thinking he should like to know the cause of
dispute between the three men, he went out and asked them why they were
fighting so angrily with one another. One of them said that he had
found a stick, and that he had but to strike it against any door
through which he wished to pass, and it immediately flew open.
Another told him that he had found a cloak which rendered its wearer
invisible; and the third had caught a horse which would carry its
rider over any obstacle, and even up the glass mountain. They had been
unable to decide whether they would keep together and have the things
in common, or whether they would separate. On hearing this, the man
said, 'I will give you something in exchange for those three things;
not money, for that I have not got, but something that is of far
more value. I must first, however, prove whether all you have told me
about your three things is true.' The robbers, therefore, made him get
on the horse, and handed him the stick and the cloak, and when he had
put this round him he was no longer visible. Then he fell upon them
with the stick and beat them one after another, crying, 'There, you
idle vagabonds, you have got what you deserve; are you satisfied now!'
After this he rode up the glass mountain. When he reached the gate of
the castle, he found it closed, but he gave it a blow with his stick,
and it flew wide open at once and he passed through. He mounted the
steps and entered the room where the maiden was sitting, with a golden
goblet full of wine in front of her. She could not see him for he
still wore his cloak. He took the ring which she had given him off his
finger, and threw it into the goblet, so that it rang as it touched the
bottom. 'That is my own ring,' she exclaimed, 'and if that is so the
man must also be here who is coming to set me free.'
She sought for him about the castle, but could find him nowhere.
Meanwhile he had gone outside again and mounted his horse and thrown off
the cloak. When therefore she came to the castle gate she saw him,
and cried aloud for joy. Then he dismounted and took her in his arms;
and she kissed him, and said, 'Now you have indeed set me free, and
tomorrow we will celebrate our marriage.'
The Golden Goose
There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was
called Dummling,* and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every
occasion.
[*] Simpleton
It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood,
and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a
bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.
When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who
bade him good day, and said: 'Do give me a piece of cake out of your
pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine; I am so hungry and
thirsty.' But the clever son answered: 'If I give you my cake and
wine, I shall have none for myself; be off with you,' and he left the
little man standing and went on.
But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made
a false stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go
home and have it bound up. And this was the little grey man's doing.
After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave
him, like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. The little old grey
man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of
wine. But the second son, too, said sensibly enough: 'What I give you
will be taken away from myself; be off!' and he left the little man
standing and went on. His punishment, however, was not delayed; when he
had made a few blows at the tree he struck himself in the leg, so that
he had to be carried home.
Then Dummling said: 'Father, do let me go and cut wood.' The
father answered: 'Your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it
alone, you do not understand anything about it.' But Dummling begged so
long that at last he said: 'Just go then, you will get wiser by hurting
yourself.' His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the
cinders, and with it a bottle of sour beer.
When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise,
and greeting him, said: 'Give me a piece of your cake and a drink out of
your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty.' Dummling answered: 'I
have only cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sit
down and eat.' So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his
cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become
good wine. So they ate and drank, and after that the little man said:
'Since you have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have,
I will give you good luck. There stands an old tree, cut it down,
and you will find something at the roots.' Then the little man took
leave of him.
Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a
goose sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her
up, and taking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he
would stay the night. Now the host had three daughters, who saw
the goose and were curious to know what such a wonderful bird might
be, and would have liked to have one of its golden feathers.
The eldest thought: 'I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out
a feather,' and as soon as Dummling had gone out she seized the goose by
the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it.
The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get
a feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she
was held fast.
At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others
screamed out: 'Keep away; for goodness' sake keep away!' But she did not
understand why she was to keep away. 'The others are there,' she
thought, 'I may as well be there too,' and ran to them; but as soon
as she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. So
they had to spend the night with the goose.
The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set
out, without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on
to it. They were obliged to run after him continually, now left,
now right, wherever his legs took him.
In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw
the procession he said: 'For shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why
are you running across the fields after this young man? Is that
seemly?' At the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order
to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck
fast, and was himself obliged to run behind.
Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson,
running behind three girls. He was astonished at this and called out:
'Hi! your reverence, whither away so quickly? Do not forget that
we have a christening today!' and running after him he took him by
the sleeve, but was also held fast to it.
Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two
labourers came with their hoes from the fields; the parson called out
to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free. But
they had scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now
there were seven of them running behind Dummling and the goose.
Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a
daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So he had
put forth a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh
should marry her. When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and
all her train before the king's daughter, and as soon as she saw the
seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she began to
laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never stop. Thereupon Dummling
asked to have her for his wife; but the king did not like the
son-in-law, and made all manner of excuses and said he must first
produce a man who could drink a cellarful of wine. Dummling thought of
the little grey man, who could certainly help him; so he went into the
forest, and in the same place where he had felled the tree, he saw a
man sitting, who had a very sorrowful face. Dummling asked him what he
was taking to heart so sorely, and he answered: 'I have such a great
thirst and cannot quench it; cold water I cannot stand, a barrel of
wine I have just emptied, but that to me is like a drop on a hot stone!'
'There, I can help you,' said Dummling, 'just come with me and you
shall be satisfied.'
He led him into the king's cellar, and the man bent over the huge
barrels, and drank and drank till his loins hurt, and before the day was
out he had emptied all the barrels. Then Dummling asked once more for
his bride, but the king was vexed that such an ugly fellow, whom
everyone called Dummling, should take away his daughter, and he made a
new condition; he must first find a man who could eat a whole
mountain of bread. Dummling did not think long, but went straight into
the forest, where in the same place there sat a man who was tying up
his body with a strap, and making an awful face, and saying: 'I have
eaten a whole ovenful of rolls, but what good is that when one has
such a hunger as I? My stomach remains empty, and I must tie myself
up if I am not to die of hunger.'
At this Dummling was glad, and said: 'Get up and come with me; you
shall eat yourself full.' He led him to the king's palace where all the
flour in the whole Kingdom was collected, and from it he caused a huge
mountain of bread to be baked. The man from the forest stood before it,
began to eat, and by the end of one day the whole mountain had
vanished. Then Dummling for the third time asked for his bride; but
the king again sought a way out, and ordered a ship which could sail
on land and on water. 'As soon as you come sailing back in it,' said
he, 'you shall have my daughter for wife.'
Dummling went straight into the forest, and there sat the little grey
man to whom he had given his cake. When he heard what Dummling
wanted, he said: 'Since you have given me to eat and to drink, I will
give you the ship; and I do all this because you once were kind to
me.' Then he gave him the ship which could sail on land and water,
and when the king saw that, he could no longer prevent him from having
his daughter. The wedding was celebrated, and after the king's death,
Dummling inherited his kingdom and lived for a long time contentedly
with his wife.
The Water Of Life
Long before you or I were born, there reigned, in a country a great
way off, a king who had three sons. This king once fell very ill--so
ill that nobody thought he could live. His sons were very much
grieved at their father's sickness; and as they were walking together
very mournfully in the garden of the palace, a little old man met them
and asked what was the matter. They told him that their father was very
ill, and that they were afraid nothing could save him. 'I know what
would,' said the little old man; 'it is the Water of Life. If he could
have a draught of it he would be well again; but it is very hard to
get.' Then the eldest son said, 'I will soon find it': and he went to
the sick king, and begged that he might go in search of the Water of
Life, as it was the only thing that could save him. 'No,' said the
king. 'I had rather die than place you in such great danger as you
must meet with in your journey.' But he begged so hard that the king let
him go; and the prince thought to himself, 'If I bring my father this
water, he will make me sole heir to his kingdom.'
Then he set out: and when he had gone on his way some time he came to
a deep valley, overhung with rocks and woods; and as he looked around,
he saw standing above him on one of the rocks a little ugly dwarf,
with a sugarloaf cap and a scarlet cloak; and the dwarf called to him
and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' 'What is that to thee, you ugly
imp?' said the prince haughtily, and rode on.
But the dwarf was enraged at his behaviour, and laid a fairy spell
of ill-luck upon him; so that as he rode on the mountain pass became
narrower and narrower, and at last the way was so straitened that he
could not go to step forward: and when he thought to have turned his
horse round and go back the way he came, he heard a loud laugh ringing
round him, and found that the path was closed behind him, so that he
was shut in all round. He next tried to get off his horse and make his
way on foot, but again the laugh rang in his ears, and he found
himself unable to move a step, and thus he was forced to abide
spellbound.
Meantime the old king was lingering on in daily hope of his son's
return, till at last the second son said, 'Father, I will go in
search of the Water of Life.' For he thought to himself, 'My brother is
surely dead, and the kingdom will fall to me if I find the water.' The
king was at first very unwilling to let him go, but at last yielded to
his wish. So he set out and followed the same road which his brother
had done, and met with the same elf, who stopped him at the same spot
in the mountains, saying, as before, 'Prince, prince, whither so
fast?' 'Mind your own affairs, busybody!' said the prince scornfully,
and rode on.
But the dwarf put the same spell upon him as he put on his elder
brother, and he, too, was at last obliged to take up his abode in the
heart of the mountains. Thus it is with proud silly people, who think
themselves above everyone else, and are too proud to ask or take
advice.
When the second prince had thus been gone a long time, the youngest
son said he would go and search for the Water of Life, and trusted he
should soon be able to make his father well again. So he set out, and
the dwarf met him too at the same spot in the valley, among the
mountains, and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' And the prince said, 'I
am going in search of the Water of Life, because my father is ill, and
like to die: can you help me? Pray be kind, and aid me if you can!' 'Do
you know where it is to be found?' asked the dwarf. 'No,' said the
prince, 'I do not. Pray tell me if you know.' 'Then as you have spoken
to me kindly, and are wise enough to seek for advice, I will tell you
how and where to go. The water you seek springs from a well in an
enchanted castle; and, that you may be able to reach it in safety, I
will give you an iron wand and two little loaves of bread; strike the
iron door of the castle three times with the wand, and it will open:
two hungry lions will be lying down inside gaping for their prey, but
if you throw them the bread they will let you pass; then hasten on to
the well, and take some of the Water of Life before the clock
strikes twelve; for if you tarry longer the door will shut upon you
for ever.'
Then the prince thanked his little friend with the scarlet cloak for
his friendly aid, and took the wand and the bread, and went travelling
on and on, over sea and over land, till he came to his journey's end,
and found everything to be as the dwarf had told him. The door flew
open at the third stroke of the wand, and when the lions were
quieted he went on through the castle and came at length to a
beautiful hall. Around it he saw several knights sitting in a trance;
then he pulled off their rings and put them on his own fingers. In
another room he saw on a table a sword and a loaf of bread, which he
also took. Further on he came to a room where a beautiful young
lady sat upon a couch; and she welcomed him joyfully, and said, if
he would set her free from the spell that bound her, the kingdom
should be his, if he would come back in a year and marry her. Then she
told him that the well that held the Water of Life was in the palace
gardens; and bade him make haste, and draw what he wanted before
the clock struck twelve.
He walked on; and as he walked through beautiful gardens he came to
a delightful shady spot in which stood a couch; and he thought to
himself, as he felt tired, that he would rest himself for a while, and
gaze on the lovely scenes around him. So he laid himself down, and
sleep fell upon him unawares, so that he did not wake up till the clock
was striking a quarter to twelve. Then he sprang from the couch
dreadfully frightened, ran to the well, filled a cup that was standing
by him full of water, and hastened to get away in time. Just as he was
going out of the iron door it struck twelve, and the door fell so
quickly upon him that it snapped off a piece of his heel.
When he found himself safe, he was overjoyed to think that he had got
the Water of Life; and as he was going on his way homewards, he passed
by the little dwarf, who, when he saw the sword and the loaf, said,
'You have made a noble prize; with the sword you can at a blow slay
whole armies, and the bread will never fail you.' Then the prince
thought to himself, 'I cannot go home to my father without my
brothers'; so he said, 'My dear friend, cannot you tell me where my
two brothers are, who set out in search of the Water of Life before
me, and never came back?' 'I have shut them up by a charm between two
mountains,' said the dwarf, 'because they were proud and ill-behaved,
and scorned to ask advice.' The prince begged so hard for his
brothers, that the dwarf at last set them free, though unwillingly,
saying, 'Beware of them, for they have bad hearts.' Their brother,
however, was greatly rejoiced to see them, and told them all that had
happened to him; how he had found the Water of Life, and had taken a
cup full of it; and how he had set a beautiful princess free from a
spell that bound her; and how she had engaged to wait a whole year, and
then to marry him, and to give him the kingdom.
Then they all three rode on together, and on their way home came to
a country that was laid waste by war and a dreadful famine, so that it
was feared all must die for want. But the prince gave the king of the
land the bread, and all his kingdom ate of it. And he lent the king the
wonderful sword, and he slew the enemy's army with it; and thus the
kingdom was once more in peace and plenty. In the same manner he
befriended two other countries through which they passed on their way.
When they came to the sea, they got into a ship and during their
voyage the two eldest said to themselves, 'Our brother has got the water
which we could not find, therefore our father will forsake us and
give him the kingdom, which is our right'; so they were full of envy
and revenge, and agreed together how they could ruin him. Then they
waited till he was fast asleep, and poured the Water of Life out of
the cup, and took it for themselves, giving him bitter sea-water
instead.
When they came to their journey's end, the youngest son brought his cup
to the sick king, that he might drink and be healed. Scarcely, however,
had he tasted the bitter sea-water when he became worse even than
he was before; and then both the elder sons came in, and blamed the
youngest for what they had done; and said that he wanted to poison
their father, but that they had found the Water of Life, and had
brought it with them. He no sooner began to drink of what they brought
him, than he felt his sickness leave him, and was as strong and well
as in his younger days. Then they went to their brother, and laughed
at him, and said, 'Well, brother, you found the Water of Life, did
you? You have had the trouble and we shall have the reward. Pray, with
all your cleverness, why did not you manage to keep your eyes open?
Next year one of us will take away your beautiful princess, if you do
not take care. You had better say nothing about this to our father,
for he does not believe a word you say; and if you tell tales, you
shall lose your life into the bargain: but be quiet, and we will let
you off.'
The old king was still very angry with his youngest son, and thought
that he really meant to have taken away his life; so he called his
court together, and asked what should be done, and all agreed that he
ought to be put to death. The prince knew nothing of what was going
on, till one day, when the king's chief huntsmen went a-hunting with
him, and they were alone in the wood together, the huntsman looked so
sorrowful that the prince said, 'My friend, what is the matter with
you?' 'I cannot and dare not tell you,' said he. But the prince begged
very hard, and said, 'Only tell me what it is, and do not think I shall
be angry, for I will forgive you.' 'Alas!' said the huntsman; 'the
king has ordered me to shoot you.' The prince started at this, and
said, 'Let me live, and I will change dresses with you; you shall
take my royal coat to show to my father, and do you give me your
shabby one.' 'With all my heart,' said the huntsman; 'I am sure I
shall be glad to save you, for I could not have shot you.' Then he
took the prince's coat, and gave him the shabby one, and went away
through the wood.
Some time after, three grand embassies came to the old king's court,
with rich gifts of gold and precious stones for his youngest son; now
all these were sent from the three kings to whom he had lent his sword
and loaf of bread, in order to rid them of their enemy and feed
their people. This touched the old king's heart, and he thought his
son might still be guiltless, and said to his court, 'O that my son
were still alive! how it grieves me that I had him killed!' 'He is
still alive,' said the huntsman; 'and I am glad that I had pity on
him, but let him go in peace, and brought home his royal coat.' At
this the king was overwhelmed with joy, and made it known thoughout
all his kingdom, that if his son would come back to his court he would
forgive him.
Meanwhile the princess was eagerly waiting till her deliverer should
come back; and had a road made leading up to her palace all of shining
gold; and told her courtiers that whoever came on horseback, and rode
straight up to the gate upon it, was her true lover; and that they must
let him in: but whoever rode on one side of it, they must be sure was
not the right one; and that they must send him away at once.
The time soon came, when the eldest brother thought that he would
make haste to go to the princess, and say that he was the one who had
set her free, and that he should have her for his wife, and the kingdom
with her. As he came before the palace and saw the golden road, he
stopped to look at it, and he thought to himself, 'It is a pity
to ride upon this beautiful road'; so he turned aside and rode on the
right-hand side of it. But when he came to the gate, the guards, who
had seen the road he took, said to him, he could not be what he said
he was, and must go about his business.
The second prince set out soon afterwards on the same errand; and when
he came to the golden road, and his horse had set one foot upon
it, he stopped to look at it, and thought it very beautiful, and said
to himself, 'What a pity it is that anything should tread here!' Then
he too turned aside and rode on the left side of it. But when he came
to the gate the guards said he was not the true prince, and that he too
must go away about his business; and away he went.
Now when the full year was come round, the third brother left the
forest in which he had lain hid for fear of his father's anger, and
set out in search of his betrothed bride. So he journeyed on, thinking
of her all the way, and rode so quickly that he did not even see what
the road was made of, but went with his horse straight over it; and as
he came to the gate it flew open, and the princess welcomed him with
joy, and said he was her deliverer, and should now be her husband and
lord of the kingdom. When the first joy at their meeting was over, the
princess told him she had heard of his father having forgiven him, and
of his wish to have him home again: so, before his wedding with the
princess, he went to visit his father, taking her with him. Then he
told him everything; how his brothers had cheated and robbed him, and
yet that he had borne all those wrongs for the love of his father. And
the old king was very angry, and wanted to punish his wicked sons; but
they made their escape, and got into a ship and sailed away over
the wide sea, and where they went to nobody knew and nobody cared.
And now the old king gathered together his court, and asked all
his kingdom to come and celebrate the wedding of his son and the
princess. And young and old, noble and squire, gentle and simple, came
at once on the summons; and among the rest came the friendly dwarf,
with the sugarloaf hat, and a new scarlet cloak.
And the wedding was held, and the merry bells run.
And all the good people they danced and they sung,
And feasted and frolick'd I can't tell how long.
The Twelve Huntsmen
There was once a king's son who had a bride whom he loved very much.
And when he was sitting beside her and very happy, news came that his
father lay sick unto death, and desired to see him once again before
his end. Then he said to his beloved: 'I must now go and leave you, I
give you a ring as a remembrance of me. When I am king, I will return
and fetch you.' So he rode away, and when he reached his father,
the latter was dangerously ill, and near his death. He said to him:
'Dear son, I wished to see you once again before my end, promise me to
marry as I wish,' and he named a certain king's daughter who was to be
his wife. The son was in such trouble that he did not think what he was
doing, and said: 'Yes, dear father, your will shall be done,' and
thereupon the king shut his eyes, and died.
When therefore the son had been proclaimed king, and the time of
mourning was over, he was forced to keep the promise which he had given
his father, and caused the king's daughter to be asked in marriage,
and she was promised to him. His first betrothed heard of this, and
fretted so much about his faithfulness that she nearly died. Then her
father said to her: 'Dearest child, why are you so sad? You shall have
whatsoever you will.' She thought for a moment and said: 'Dear father,
I wish for eleven girls exactly like myself in face, figure, and size.'
The father said: 'If it be possible, your desire shall be fulfilled,'
and he caused a search to be made in his whole kingdom, until
eleven young maidens were found who exactly resembled his daughter in
face, figure, and size.
When they came to the king's daughter, she had twelve suits of
huntsmen's clothes made, all alike, and the eleven maidens had to
put on the huntsmen's clothes, and she herself put on the twelfth
suit. Thereupon she took her leave of her father, and rode away with
them, and rode to the court of her former betrothed, whom she loved so
dearly. Then she asked if he required any huntsmen, and if he would
take all of them into his service. The king looked at her and did
not know her, but as they were such handsome fellows, he said: 'Yes,'
and that he would willingly take them, and now they were the king's
twelve huntsmen.
The king, however, had a lion which was a wondrous animal, for he knew
all concealed and secret things. It came to pass that one evening he
said to the king: 'You think you have twelve huntsmen?' 'Yes,' said
the king, 'they are twelve huntsmen.' The lion continued: 'You are
mistaken, they are twelve girls.' The king said: 'That cannot be true!
How will you prove that to me?' 'Oh, just let some peas be strewn
in the ante-chamber,' answered the lion, 'and then you will soon see.
Men have a firm step, and when they walk over peas none of them stir,
but girls trip and skip, and drag their feet, and the peas roll about.'
The king was well pleased with the counsel, and caused the peas to be
strewn.
There was, however, a servant of the king's who favoured the huntsmen,
and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test he went to
them and repeated everything, and said: 'The lion wants to make
the king believe that you are girls.' Then the king's daughter
thanked him, and said to her maidens: 'Show some strength, and step
firmly on the peas.' So next morning when the king had the twelve
huntsmen called before him, and they came into the ante-chamber where
the peas were lying, they stepped so firmly on them, and had such a
strong, sure walk, that not one of the peas either rolled or stirred.
Then they went away again, and the king said to the lion: 'You have
lied to me, they walk just like men.' The lion said: 'They have been
informed that they were going to be put to the test, and have assumed
some strength. Just let twelve spinning-wheels be brought into the
ante-chamber, and they will go to them and be pleased with them, and
that is what no man would do.' The king liked the advice, and had the
spinning-wheels placed in the ante-chamber.
But the servant, who was well disposed to the huntsmen, went to them,
and disclosed the project. So when they were alone the king's daughter
said to her eleven girls: 'Show some constraint, and do not look
round at the spinning-wheels.' And next morning when the king had his
twelve huntsmen summoned, they went through the ante-chamber, and never
once looked at the spinning-wheels. Then the king again said to the
lion: 'You have deceived me, they are men, for they have not looked
at the spinning-wheels.' The lion replied: 'They have restrained
themselves.' The king, however, would no longer believe the lion.
The twelve huntsmen always followed the king to the chase, and his
liking for them continually increased. Now it came to pass that once
when they were out hunting, news came that the king's bride was
approaching. When the true bride heard that, it hurt her so much that
her heart was almost broken, and she fell fainting to the ground. The
king thought something had happened to his dear huntsman, ran up to
him, wanted to help him, and drew his glove off. Then he saw the ring
which he had given to his first bride, and when he looked in her face
he recognized her. Then his heart was so touched that he kissed her,
and when she opened her eyes he said: 'You are mine, and I am yours,
and no one in the world can alter that.' He sent a messenger to the
other bride, and entreated her to return to her own kingdom, for he
had a wife already, and someone who had just found an old key did not
require a new one. Thereupon the wedding was celebrated, and the lion
was again taken into favour, because, after all, he had told the truth.
The King Of The Golden Mountain
There was once a merchant who had only one child, a son, that was
very young, and barely able to run alone. He had two richly laden
ships then making a voyage upon the seas, in which he had embarked all
his wealth, in the hope of making great gains, when the news came that
both were lost. Thus from being a rich man he became all at once so
very poor that nothing was left to him but one small plot of land; and
there he often went in an evening to take his walk, and ease his mind
of a little of his trouble.
One day, as he was roaming along in a brown study, thinking with no
great comfort on what he had been and what he now was, and was like to
be, all on a sudden there stood before him a little, rough-looking,
black dwarf. 'Prithee, friend, why so sorrowful?' said he to the
merchant; 'what is it you take so deeply to heart?' 'If you would
do me any good I would willingly tell you,' said the merchant. 'Who
knows but I may?' said the little man: 'tell me what ails you, and
perhaps you will find I may be of some use.' Then the merchant told him
how all his wealth was gone to the bottom of the sea, and how he had
nothing left but that little plot of land. 'Oh, trouble not
yourself about that,' said the dwarf; 'only undertake to bring me
here, twelve years hence, whatever meets you first on your going
home, and I will give you as much as you please.' The merchant
thought this was no great thing to ask; that it would most likely be his
dog or his cat, or something of that sort, but forgot his little boy
Heinel; so he agreed to the bargain, and signed and sealed the bond to
do what was asked of him.
But as he drew near home, his little boy was so glad to see him that
he crept behind him, and laid fast hold of his legs, and looked up in
his face and laughed. Then the father started, trembling with fear and
horror, and saw what it was that he had bound himself to do; but as no
gold was come, he made himself easy by thinking that it was only a
joke that the dwarf was playing him, and that, at any rate, when the
money came, he should see the bearer, and would not take it in.
About a month afterwards he went upstairs into a lumber-room to look
for some old iron, that he might sell it and raise a little money; and
there, instead of his iron, he saw a large pile of gold lying on the
floor. At the sight of this he was overjoyed, and forgetting all about
his son, went into trade again, and became a richer merchant than
before.
Meantime little Heinel grew up, and as the end of the twelve years
drew near the merchant began to call to mind his bond, and became very
sad and thoughtful; so that care and sorrow were written upon his
face. The boy one day asked what was the matter, but his father would
not tell for some time; at last, however, he said that he had, without
knowing it, sold him for gold to a little, ugly-looking, black dwarf,
and that the twelve years were coming round when he must keep his word.
Then Heinel said, 'Father, give yourself very little trouble about
that; I shall be too much for the little man.'
When the time came, the father and son went out together to the
place agreed upon: and the son drew a circle on the ground, and set
himself and his father in the middle of it. The little black dwarf
soon came, and walked round and round about the circle, but could not
find any way to get into it, and he either could not, or dared not, jump
over it. At last the boy said to him. 'Have you anything to say to
us, my friend, or what do you want?' Now Heinel had found a friend in a
good fairy, that was fond of him, and had told him what to do; for this
fairy knew what good luck was in store for him. 'Have you brought me
what you said you would?' said the dwarf to the merchant. The old man
held his tongue, but Heinel said again, 'What do you want here?' The
dwarf said, 'I come to talk with your father, not with you.' 'You have
cheated and taken in my father,' said the son; 'pray give him up his
bond at once.' 'Fair and softly,' said the little old man; 'right is
right; I have paid my money, and your father has had it, and spent
it; so be so good as to let me have what I paid it for.' 'You must
have my consent to that first,' said Heinel, 'so please to step in
here, and let us talk it over.' The old man grinned, and showed his
teeth, as if he should have been very glad to get into the circle if
he could. Then at last, after a long talk, they came to terms. Heinel
agreed that his father must give him up, and that so far the dwarf
should have his way: but, on the other hand, the fairy had told
Heinel what fortune was in store for him, if he followed his own
course; and he did not choose to be given up to his hump-backed friend,
who seemed so anxious for his company.
So, to make a sort of drawn battle of the matter, it was settled
that Heinel should be put into an open boat, that lay on the sea-shore
hard by; that the father should push him off with his own hand, and that
he should thus be set adrift, and left to the bad or good luck of wind
and weather. Then he took leave of his father, and set himself in the
boat, but before it got far off a wave struck it, and it fell with
one side low in the water, so the merchant thought that poor Heinel
was lost, and went home very sorrowful, while the dwarf went his way,
thinking that at any rate he had had his revenge.
The boat, however, did not sink, for the good fairy took care of
her friend, and soon raised the boat up again, and it went safely
on. The young man sat safe within, till at length it ran ashore upon
an unknown land. As he jumped upon the shore he saw before him a
beautiful castle but empty and dreary within, for it was enchanted.
'Here,' said he to himself, 'must I find the prize the good fairy
told me of.' So he once more searched the whole palace through,
till at last he found a white snake, lying coiled up on a cushion in
one of the chambers.
Now the white snake was an enchanted princess; and she was very glad
to see him, and said, 'Are you at last come to set me free? Twelve long
years have I waited here for the fairy to bring you hither as she
promised, for you alone can save me. This night twelve men will come:
their faces will be black, and they will be dressed in chain armour.
They will ask what you do here, but give no answer; and let them do
what they will--beat, whip, pinch, prick, or torment you--bear all;
only speak not a word, and at twelve o'clock they must go away. The
second night twelve others will come: and the third night
twenty-four, who will even cut off your head; but at the twelfth hour
of that night their power is gone, and I shall be free, and will come
and bring you the Water of Life, and will wash you with it, and bring
you back to life and health.' And all came to pass as she had said;
Heinel bore all, and spoke not a word; and the third night the
princess came, and fell on his neck and kissed him. Joy and gladness
burst forth throughout the castle, the wedding was celebrated, and he
was crowned king of the Golden Mountain.
They lived together very happily, and the queen had a son. And thus
eight years had passed over their heads, when the king thought of his
father; and he began to long to see him once again. But the queen was
against his going, and said, 'I know well that misfortunes will come
upon us if you go.' However, he gave her no rest till she agreed. At
his going away she gave him a wishing-ring, and said, 'Take this
ring, and put it on your finger; whatever you wish it will bring you;
only promise never to make use of it to bring me hence to your father's
house.' Then he said he would do what she asked, and put the ring on his
finger, and wished himself near the town where his father lived.
Heinel found himself at the gates in a moment; but the guards would
not let him go in, because he was so strangely clad. So he went up
to a neighbouring hill, where a shepherd dwelt, and borrowed his old
frock, and thus passed unknown into the town. When he came to his
father's house, he said he was his son; but the merchant would not
believe him, and said he had had but one son, his poor Heinel, who he
knew was long since dead: and as he was only dressed like a poor
shepherd, he would not even give him anything to eat. The king,
however, still vowed that he was his son, and said, 'Is there no mark
by which you would know me if I am really your son?' 'Yes,' said his
mother, 'our Heinel had a mark like a raspberry on his right arm.'
Then he showed them the mark, and they knew that what he had said was
true.
He next told them how he was king of the Golden Mountain, and was
married to a princess, and had a son seven years old. But the merchant
said, 'that can never be true; he must be a fine king truly who
travels about in a shepherd's frock!' At this the son was vexed; and
forgetting his word, turned his ring, and wished for his queen and
son. In an instant they stood before him; but the queen wept, and said
he had broken his word, and bad luck would follow. He did all he could
to soothe her, and she at last seemed to be appeased; but she was not
so in truth, and was only thinking how she should punish him.
One day he took her to walk with him out of the town, and showed her
the spot where the boat was set adrift upon the wide waters. Then
he sat himself down, and said, 'I am very much tired; sit by me, I
will rest my head in your lap, and sleep a while.' As soon as he had
fallen asleep, however, she drew the ring from his finger, and crept
softly away, and wished herself and her son at home in their kingdom.
And when he awoke he found himself alone, and saw that the ring was
gone from his finger. 'I can never go back to my father's house,' said
he; 'they would say I am a sorcerer: I will journey forth into the
world, till I come again to my kingdom.'
So saying he set out and travelled till he came to a hill, where
three giants were sharing their father's goods; and as they saw him
pass they cried out and said, 'Little men have sharp wits; he shall
part the goods between us.' Now there was a sword that cut off an
enemy's head whenever the wearer gave the words, 'Heads off!'; a
cloak that made the owner invisible, or gave him any form he
pleased; and a pair of boots that carried the wearer wherever he
wished. Heinel said they must first let him try these wonderful things,
then he might know how to set a value upon them. Then they gave him
the cloak, and he wished himself a fly, and in a moment he was a fly.
'The cloak is very well,' said he: 'now give me the sword.' 'No,' said
they; 'not unless you undertake not to say, "Heads off!" for if you
do we are all dead men.' So they gave it him, charging him to try it
on a tree. He next asked for the boots also; and the moment he had all
three in his power, he wished himself at the Golden Mountain; and
there he was at once. So the giants were left behind with no goods to
share or quarrel about.
As Heinel came near his castle he heard the sound of merry music; and
the people around told him that his queen was about to marry another
husband. Then he threw his cloak around him, and passed through the
castle hall, and placed himself by the side of the queen, where no
one saw him. But when anything to eat was put upon her plate, he took
it away and ate it himself; and when a glass of wine was handed to her,
he took it and drank it; and thus, though they kept on giving her meat
and drink, her plate and cup were always empty.
Upon this, fear and remorse came over her, and she went into her
chamber alone, and sat there weeping; and he followed her there. 'Alas!'
said she to herself, 'was I not once set free? Why then does this
enchantment still seem to bind me?'
'False and fickle one!' said he. 'One indeed came who set thee free,
and he is now near thee again; but how have you used him? Ought he to
have had such treatment from thee?' Then he went out and sent away the
company, and said the wedding was at an end, for that he was come back
to the kingdom. But the princes, peers, and great men mocked at him.
However, he would enter into no parley with them, but only asked them
if they would go in peace or not. Then they turned upon him and tried
to seize him; but he drew his sword. 'Heads Off!' cried he; and with
the word the traitors' heads fell before him, and Heinel was once
more king of the Golden Mountain.
Doctor Knowall
There was once upon a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with
two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two
talers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened
that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how well
he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and would willingly
have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and at length
inquired if he too could not be a doctor. 'Oh, yes,' said the
doctor, 'that is soon managed.' 'What must I do?' asked the peasant.
'In the first place buy yourself an A B C book of the kind which has
a cock on the frontispiece; in the second, turn your cart and your
two oxen into money, and get yourself some clothes, and whatsoever
else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for yourself
with the words: "I am Doctor Knowall," and have that nailed up above
your house-door.' The peasant did everything that he had been told to
do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich and great
lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor Knowall who
lived in such and such a village, and must know what had become of
the money. So the lord had the horses harnessed to his carriage,
drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor
Knowall. Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bring
back the stolen money. 'Oh, yes, but Grete, my wife, must go too.' The
lord was willing, and let both of them have a seat in the carriage,
and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman's
castle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat.
'Yes, but my wife, Grete, too,' said he, and he seated himself with
her at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish of
delicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that
was the first,' meaning that was the servant who brought the first
dish. The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say: 'That
is the first thief,' and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and
said to his comrade outside: 'The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill,
he said I was the first.' The second did not want to go in at all, but
was forced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his
wife, and said: 'Grete, that is the second.' This servant was
equally alarmed, and he got out as fast as he could. The third fared no
better, for the peasant again said: 'Grete, that is the third.' The
fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told the
doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath
the cover. Actually, there were crabs. The doctor looked at the dish,
had no idea what to say, and cried: 'Ah, poor Crabb.' When the lord
heard that, he cried: 'There! he knows it; he must also know who has
the money!'
On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the
doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When therefore
he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had stolen the
money, and said that they would willingly restore it and give him a
heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them, for if he
did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where the money was
concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned to the
hall, sat down to the table, and said: 'My lord, now will I search
in my book where the gold is hidden.' The fifth servant, however,
crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more. But the
doctor sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pages
backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not find it
immediately he said: 'I know you are there, so you had better come
out!' Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him,
and full of terror, sprang out, crying: 'That man knows
everything!' Then Doctor Knowall showed the lord where the money was,
but did not say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much
money in reward, and became a renowned man.
The Seven Ravens
There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one
daughter. Although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and
small that they thought she could not live; but they said she
should at once be christened.
So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get
some water, but the other six ran with him. Each wanted to be first at
drawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that all let their
pitchers fall into the well, and they stood very foolishly looking at
one another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home. In
the meantime the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made the
young men stay so long. 'Surely,' said he, 'the whole seven must have
forgotten themselves over some game of play'; and when he had waited
still longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wished
them all turned into ravens. Scarcely had he spoken these words when he
heard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravens as
black as coal flying round and round. Sorry as he was to see his
wish so fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone,
and comforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his seven
sons with his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and
every day more beautiful.
For a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers;
for her father and mother took care not to speak of them before her:
but one day by chance she heard the people about her speak of them.
'Yes,' said they, 'she is beautiful indeed, but still 'tis a pity
that her brothers should have been lost for her sake.' Then she was
much grieved, and went to her father and mother, and asked if she had
any brothers, and what had become of them. So they dared no longer hide
the truth from her, but said it was the will of Heaven, and that her
birth was only the innocent cause of it; but the little girl mourned
sadly about it every day, and thought herself bound to do all she could
to bring her brothers back; and she had neither rest nor ease, till at
length one day she stole away, and set out into the wide world to find
her brothers, wherever they might be, and free them, whatever it might
cost her.
She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and
mother had given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry,
a little pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty, and a little
stool to rest upon when she should be weary. Thus she went on and on,
and journeyed till she came to the world's end; then she came to the
sun, but the sun looked much too hot and fiery; so she ran away quickly
to the moon, but the moon was cold and chilly, and said, 'I smell flesh
and blood this way!' so she took herself away in a hurry and came to
the stars, and the stars were friendly and kind to her, and each star
sat upon his own little stool; but the morning star rose up and gave
her a little piece of wood, and said, 'If you have not this little
piece of wood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands on the
glass-mountain, and there your brothers live.' The little girl took
the piece of wood, rolled it up in a little cloth, and went on again
until she came to the glass-mountain, and found the door shut. Then
she felt for the little piece of wood; but when she unwrapped the
cloth it was not there, and she saw she had lost the gift of the good
stars. What was to be done? She wanted to save her brothers, and had
no key of the castle of the glass-mountain; so this faithful little
sister took a knife out of her pocket and cut off her little finger,
that was just the size of the piece of wood she had lost, and put it
in the door and opened it.
As she went in, a little dwarf came up to her, and said, 'What are
you seeking for?' 'I seek for my brothers, the seven ravens,' answered
she. Then the dwarf said, 'My masters are not at home; but if you
will wait till they come, pray step in.' Now the little dwarf was
getting their dinner ready, and he brought their food upon seven
little plates, and their drink in seven little glasses, and set them
upon the table, and out of each little plate their sister ate a
small piece, and out of each little glass she drank a small drop;
but she let the ring that she had brought with her fall into the last
glass.
On a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air, and the
dwarf said, 'Here come my masters.' When they came in, they wanted to
eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then
said one after the other,
'Who has eaten from my little plate? And who has been drinking out of
my little glass?'
'Caw! Caw! well I ween
Mortal lips have this way been.'
When the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, and found there
the ring, he looked at it, and knew that it was his father's and
mother's, and said, 'O that our little sister would but come! then we
should be free.' When the little girl heard this (for she stood
behind the door all the time and listened), she ran forward, and in an
instant all the ravens took their right form again; and all hugged and
kissed each other, and went merrily home.
The Wedding Of Mrs Fox
First Story
There was once upon a time an old fox with nine tails, who believed
that his wife was not faithful to him, and wished to put her to the
test. He stretched himself out under the bench, did not move a limb,
and behaved as if he were stone dead. Mrs Fox went up to her room, shut
herself in, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat by the fire, and did the
cooking. When it became known that the old fox was dead, suitors
presented themselves. The maid heard someone standing at the
house-door, knocking. She went and opened it, and it was a young fox,
who said:
'What may you be about, Miss Cat?
Do you sleep or do you wake?'
She answered:
'I am not sleeping, I am waking,
Would you know what I am making?
I am boiling warm beer with butter,
Will you be my guest for supper?'
'No, thank you, miss,' said the fox, 'what is Mrs Fox doing?' The
maid replied:
'She is sitting in her room,
Moaning in her gloom,
Weeping her little eyes quite red,
Because old Mr Fox is dead.'
'Do just tell her, miss, that a young fox is here, who would like to
woo her.' 'Certainly, young sir.'
The cat goes up the stairs trip, trap,
The door she knocks at tap, tap, tap,
'Mistress Fox, are you inside?'
'Oh, yes, my little cat,' she cried.
'A wooer he stands at the door out there.'
'What does he look like, my dear?'
'Has he nine as beautiful tails as the late Mr Fox?' 'Oh, no,'
answered the cat, 'he has only one.' 'Then I will not have him.'
Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away. Soon afterwards
there was another knock, and another fox was at the door who wished to
woo Mrs Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare better than the
first. After this still more came, each with one tail more than the
other, but they were all turned away, until at last one came who had
nine tails, like old Mr Fox. When the widow heard that, she said
joyfully to the cat:
'Now open the gates and doors all wide,
And carry old Mr Fox outside.'
But just as the wedding was going to be solemnized, old Mr Fox
stirred under the bench, and cudgelled all the rabble, and drove them
and Mrs Fox out of the house.
Second Story
When old Mr Fox was dead, the wolf came as a suitor, and knocked at
the door, and the cat who was servant to Mrs Fox, opened it for him. The
wolf greeted her, and said:
'Good day, Mrs Cat of Kehrewit,
How comes it that alone you sit?
What are you making good?'
The cat replied:
'In milk I'm breaking bread so sweet,
Will you be my guest, and eat?'
'No, thank you, Mrs Cat,' answered the wolf. 'Is Mrs Fox not at home?'
The cat said:
'She sits upstairs in her room,
Bewailing her sorrowful doom,
Bewailing her trouble so sore,
For old Mr Fox is no more.'
The wolf answered:
'If she's in want of a husband now,
Then will it please her to step below?'
The cat runs quickly up the stair,
And lets her tail fly here and there,
Until she comes to the parlour door.
With her five gold rings at the door she knocks:
'Are you within, good Mistress Fox?
If you're in want of a husband now,
Then will it please you to step below?'
Mrs Fox asked: 'Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a
pointed mouth?' 'No,' answered the cat. 'Then he won't do for me.'
When the wolf was gone, came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion,
and all the beasts of the forest, one after the other. But one of the
good qualities which old Mr Fox had possessed, was always lacking, and
the cat had continually to send the suitors away. At length came a
young fox. Then Mrs Fox said: 'Has the gentleman red stockings on,
and has a little pointed mouth?' 'Yes,' said the cat, 'he has.'
'Then let him come upstairs,' said Mrs Fox, and ordered the servant
to prepare the wedding feast.
'Sweep me the room as clean as you can,
Up with the window, fling out my old man!
For many a fine fat mouse he brought,
Yet of his wife he never thought,
But ate up every one he caught.'
Then the wedding was solemnized with young Mr Fox, and there was
much rejoicing and dancing; and if they have not left off, they are
dancing still.
The Salad
As a merry young huntsman was once going briskly along through a
wood, there came up a little old woman, and said to him, 'Good day,
good day; you seem merry enough, but I am hungry and thirsty; do
pray give me something to eat.' The huntsman took pity on her, and put
his hand in his pocket and gave her what he had. Then he wanted to go
his way; but she took hold of him, and said, 'Listen, my friend, to
what I am going to tell you; I will reward you for your kindness; go
your way, and after a little time you will come to a tree where you
will see nine birds sitting on a cloak. Shoot into the midst of
them, and one will fall down dead: the cloak will fall too; take it,
it is a wishing-cloak, and when you wear it you will find yourself at
any place where you may wish to be. Cut open the dead bird, take out its
heart and keep it, and you will find a piece of gold under your pillow
every morning when you rise. It is the bird's heart that will bring you
this good luck.'
The huntsman thanked her, and thought to himself, 'If all this
does happen, it will be a fine thing for me.' When he had gone a hundred
steps or so, he heard a screaming and chirping in the branches over
him, and looked up and saw a flock of birds pulling a cloak with
their bills and feet; screaming, fighting, and tugging at each other as
if each wished to have it himself. 'Well,' said the huntsman, 'this
is wonderful; this happens just as the old woman said'; then he shot
into the midst of them so that their feathers flew all about. Off went
the flock chattering away; but one fell down dead, and the cloak with
it. Then the huntsman did as the old woman told him, cut open the
bird, took out the heart, and carried the cloak home with him.
The next morning when he awoke he lifted up his pillow, and there lay
the piece of gold glittering underneath; the same happened next
day, and indeed every day when he arose. He heaped up a great deal of
gold, and at last thought to himself, 'Of what use is this gold to me
whilst I am at home? I will go out into the world and look about me.'
Then he took leave of his friends, and hung his bag and bow about
his neck, and went his way. It so happened that his road one day led
through a thick wood, at the end of which was a large castle in a green
meadow, and at one of the windows stood an old woman with a very
beautiful young lady by her side looking about them. Now the old woman
was a witch, and said to the young lady, 'There is a young man coming
out of the wood who carries a wonderful prize; we must get it away from
him, my dear child, for it is more fit for us than for him. He has a
bird's heart that brings a piece of gold under his pillow every
morning.' Meantime the huntsman came nearer and looked at the lady,
and said to himself, 'I have been travelling so long that I should
like to go into this castle and rest myself, for I have money enough to
pay for anything I want'; but the real reason was, that he wanted to see
more of the beautiful lady. Then he went into the house, and was
welcomed kindly; and it was not long before he was so much in love
that he thought of nothing else but looking at the lady's eyes, and
doing everything that she wished. Then the old woman said, 'Now is the
time for getting the bird's heart.' So the lady stole it away, and he
never found any more gold under his pillow, for it lay now under the
young lady's, and the old woman took it away every morning; but he was
so much in love that he never missed his prize.
'Well,' said the old witch, 'we have got the bird's heart, but not
the wishing-cloak yet, and that we must also get.' 'Let us leave him
that,' said the young lady; 'he has already lost his wealth.' Then the
witch was very angry, and said, 'Such a cloak is a very rare and
wonderful thing, and I must and will have it.' So she did as the old
woman told her, and set herself at the window, and looked about the
country and seemed very sorrowful; then the huntsman said, 'What makes
you so sad?' 'Alas! dear sir,' said she, 'yonder lies the granite
rock where all the costly diamonds grow, and I want so much to go
there, that whenever I think of it I cannot help being sorrowful, for
who can reach it? only the birds and the flies--man cannot.' 'If
that's all your grief,' said the huntsman, 'I'll take there with all
my heart'; so he drew her under his cloak, and the moment he wished to
be on the granite mountain they were both there. The diamonds
glittered so on all sides that they were delighted with the sight and
picked up the finest. But the old witch made a deep sleep come upon
him, and he said to the young lady, 'Let us sit down and rest
ourselves a little, I am so tired that I cannot stand any longer.' So
they sat down, and he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep; and
whilst he was sleeping on she took the cloak from his shoulders, hung
it on her own, picked up the diamonds, and wished herself home again.
When he awoke and found that his lady had tricked him, and left him
alone on the wild rock, he said, 'Alas! what roguery there is in the
world!' and there he sat in great grief and fear, not knowing what to
do. Now this rock belonged to fierce giants who lived upon it; and as
he saw three of them striding about, he thought to himself, 'I can
only save myself by feigning to be asleep'; so he laid himself down as
if he were in a sound sleep. When the giants came up to him, the first
pushed him with his foot, and said, 'What worm is this that lies here
curled up?' 'Tread upon him and kill him,' said the second. 'It's not
worth the trouble,' said the third; 'let him live, he'll go climbing
higher up the mountain, and some cloud will come rolling and carry him
away.' And they passed on. But the huntsman had heard all they said;
and as soon as they were gone, he climbed to the top of the
mountain, and when he had sat there a short time a cloud came rolling
around him, and caught him in a whirlwind and bore him along for some
time, till it settled in a garden, and he fell quite gently to the
ground amongst the greens and cabbages.
Then he looked around him, and said, 'I wish I had something to eat,
if not I shall be worse off than before; for here I see neither apples
nor pears, nor any kind of fruits, nothing but vegetables.' At last he
thought to himself, 'I can eat salad, it will refresh and strengthen
me.' So he picked out a fine head and ate of it; but scarcely had he
swallowed two bites when he felt himself quite changed, and saw with
horror that he was turned into an ass. However, he still felt very
hungry, and the salad tasted very nice; so he ate on till he came to
another kind of salad, and scarcely had he tasted it when he felt
another change come over him, and soon saw that he was lucky enough to
have found his old shape again.
Then he laid himself down and slept off a little of his weariness;
and when he awoke the next morning he broke off a head both of the
good and the bad salad, and thought to himself, 'This will help me to
my fortune again, and enable me to pay off some folks for their
treachery.' So he went away to try and find the castle of his friends;
and after wandering about a few days he luckily found it. Then he
stained his face all over brown, so that even his mother would not have
known him, and went into the castle and asked for a lodging; 'I am so
tired,' said he, 'that I can go no farther.' 'Countryman,' said the
witch, 'who are you? and what is your business?' 'I am,' said he, 'a
messenger sent by the king to find the finest salad that grows under
the sun. I have been lucky enough to find it, and have brought it with
me; but the heat of the sun scorches so that it begins to wither, and I
don't know that I can carry it farther.'
When the witch and the young lady heard of his beautiful salad,
they longed to taste it, and said, 'Dear countryman, let us just taste
it.' 'To be sure,' answered he; 'I have two heads of it with me, and
will give you one'; so he opened his bag and gave them the bad. Then
the witch herself took it into the kitchen to be dressed; and when it
was ready she could not wait till it was carried up, but took a few
leaves immediately and put them in her mouth, and scarcely were they
swallowed when she lost her own form and ran braying down into the
court in the form of an ass. Now the servant-maid came into the
kitchen, and seeing the salad ready, was going to carry it up; but on
the way she too felt a wish to taste it as the old woman had done, and
ate some leaves; so she also was turned into an ass and ran after
the other, letting the dish with the salad fall on the ground. The
messenger sat all this time with the beautiful young lady, and as nobody
came with the salad and she longed to taste it, she said, 'I don't
know where the salad can be.' Then he thought something must have
happened, and said, 'I will go into the kitchen and see.' And as he
went he saw two asses in the court running about, and the salad lying
on the ground. 'All right!' said he; 'those two have had their
share.' Then he took up the rest of the leaves, laid them on the dish
and brought them to the young lady, saying, 'I bring you the dish
myself that you may not wait any longer.' So she ate of it, and like the
others ran off into the court braying away.
Then the huntsman washed his face and went into the court that they
might know him. 'Now you shall be paid for your roguery,' said he; and
tied them all three to a rope and took them along with him till he
came to a mill and knocked at the window. 'What's the matter?' said
the miller. 'I have three tiresome beasts here,' said the other; 'if
you will take them, give them food and room, and treat them as I tell
you, I will pay you whatever you ask.' 'With all my heart,' said the
miller; 'but how shall I treat them?' Then the huntsman said, 'Give
the old one stripes three times a day and hay once; give the next (who
was the servant-maid) stripes once a day and hay three times; and give
the youngest (who was the beautiful lady) hay three times a day and
no stripes': for he could not find it in his heart to have her
beaten. After this he went back to the castle, where he found
everything he wanted.
Some days after, the miller came to him and told him that the old ass
was dead; 'The other two,' said he, 'are alive and eat, but are so
sorrowful that they cannot last long.' Then the huntsman pitied them,
and told the miller to drive them back to him, and when they came, he
gave them some of the good salad to eat. And the beautiful young lady
fell upon her knees before him, and said, 'O dearest huntsman! forgive
me all the ill I have done you; my mother forced me to it, it was
against my will, for I always loved you very much. Your wishing-cloak
hangs up in the closet, and as for the bird's heart, I will give it you
too.' But he said, 'Keep it, it will be just the same thing, for I
mean to make you my wife.' So they were married, and lived together
very happily till they died.
The Story Of The Youth Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was
A certain father had two sons, the elder of who was smart and
sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and
could neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw him
they said: 'There's a fellow who will give his father some trouble!'
When anything had to be done, it was always the elder who was forced
to do it; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late,
or in the night-time, and the way led through the churchyard, or any
other dismal place, he answered: 'Oh, no father, I'll not go there,
it makes me shudder!' for he was afraid. Or when stories were told
by the fire at night which made the flesh creep, the listeners
sometimes said: 'Oh, it makes us shudder!' The younger sat in a corner
and listened with the rest of them, and could not imagine what they
could mean. 'They are always saying: "It makes me shudder, it
makes me shudder!" It does not make me shudder,' thought he. 'That,
too, must be an art of which I understand nothing!'
Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day: 'Hearken to
me, you fellow in the corner there, you are growing tall and strong,
and you too must learn something by which you can earn your bread.
Look how your brother works, but you do not even earn your salt.'
'Well, father,' he replied, 'I am quite willing to learn
something--indeed, if it could but be managed, I should like to learn
how to shudder. I don't understand that at all yet.' The elder brother
smiled when he heard that, and thought to himself: 'Goodness, what a
blockhead that brother of mine is! He will never be good for
anything as long as he lives! He who wants to be a sickle must bend
himself betimes.'
The father sighed, and answered him: 'You shall soon learn what it is
to shudder, but you will not earn your bread by that.'
Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and the
father bewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was so
backward in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing.
'Just think,' said he, 'when I asked him how he was going to earn
his bread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder.' 'If that be all,'
replied the sexton, 'he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and I
will soon polish him.' The father was glad to do it, for he
thought: 'It will train the boy a little.' The sexton therefore took
him into his house, and he had to ring the church bell. After a day or
two, the sexton awoke him at midnight, and bade him arise and go up
into the church tower and ring the bell. 'You shall soon learn what
shuddering is,' thought he, and secretly went there before him; and
when the boy was at the top of the tower and turned round, and was just
going to take hold of the bell rope, he saw a white figure standing
on the stairs opposite the sounding hole. 'Who is there?' cried he,
but the figure made no reply, and did not move or stir. 'Give an
answer,' cried the boy, 'or take yourself off, you have no business
here at night.'
The sexton, however, remained standing motionless that the boy might
think he was a ghost. The boy cried a second time: 'What do you want
here?--speak if you are an honest fellow, or I will throw you down
the steps!' The sexton thought: 'He can't mean to be as bad as his
words,' uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone. Then
the boy called to him for the third time, and as that was also to no
purpose, he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs, so
that it fell down the ten steps and remained lying there in a corner.
Thereupon he rang the bell, went home, and without saying a word went
to bed, and fell asleep. The sexton's wife waited a long time for her
husband, but he did not come back. At length she became uneasy, and
wakened the boy, and asked: 'Do you know where my husband is? He
climbed up the tower before you did.' 'No, I don't know,' replied the
boy, 'but someone was standing by the sounding hole on the other side
of the steps, and as he would neither gave an answer nor go away, I took
him for a scoundrel, and threw him downstairs. Just go there and you
will see if it was he. I should be sorry if it were.' The woman ran
away and found her husband, who was lying moaning in the corner, and
had broken his leg.
She carried him down, and then with loud screams she hastened to the
boy's father, 'Your boy,' cried she, 'has been the cause of a great
misfortune! He has thrown my husband down the steps so that he broke his
leg. Take the good-for-nothing fellow out of our house.' The father was
terrified, and ran thither and scolded the boy. 'What wicked tricks are
these?' said he. 'The devil must have put them into your head.'
'Father,' he replied, 'do listen to me. I am quite innocent. He was
standing there by night like one intent on doing evil. I did not know
who it was, and I entreated him three times either to speak or to go
away.' 'Ah,' said the father, 'I have nothing but unhappiness with
you. Go out of my sight. I will see you no more.'
'Yes, father, right willingly, wait only until it is day. Then will I
go forth and learn how to shudder, and then I shall, at any rate,
understand one art which will support me.' 'Learn what you will,' spoke
the father, 'it is all the same to me. Here are fifty talers for you.
Take these and go into the wide world, and tell no one from whence you
come, and who is your father, for I have reason to be ashamed of
you.' 'Yes, father, it shall be as you will. If you desire nothing
more than that, I can easily keep it in mind.'
When the day dawned, therefore, the boy put his fifty talers into
his pocket, and went forth on the great highway, and continually
said to himself: 'If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!'
Then a man approached who heard this conversation which the youth was
holding with himself, and when they had walked a little farther to
where they could see the gallows, the man said to him: 'Look, there is
the tree where seven men have married the ropemaker's daughter, and are
now learning how to fly. Sit down beneath it, and wait till night
comes, and you will soon learn how to shudder.' 'If that is all that
is wanted,' answered the youth, 'it is easily done; but if I learn how
to shudder as fast as that, you shall have my fifty talers. Just come
back to me early in the morning.' Then the youth went to the gallows,
sat down beneath it, and waited till evening came. And as he was cold,
he lighted himself a fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply
that in spite of his fire, he could not get warm. And as the wind
knocked the hanged men against each other, and they moved backwards
and forwards, he thought to himself: 'If you shiver below by the fire,
how those up above must freeze and suffer!' And as he felt pity for
them, he raised the ladder, and climbed up, unbound one of them after
the other, and brought down all seven. Then he stoked the fire, blew
it, and set them all round it to warm themselves. But they sat there
and did not stir, and the fire caught their clothes. So he said: 'Take
care, or I will hang you up again.' The dead men, however, did not
hear, but were quite silent, and let their rags go on burning. At this
he grew angry, and said: 'If you will not take care, I cannot help you,
I will not be burnt with you,' and he hung them up again each in his
turn. Then he sat down by his fire and fell asleep, and the next
morning the man came to him and wanted to have the fifty talers, and
said: 'Well do you know how to shudder?' 'No,' answered he, 'how
should I know? Those fellows up there did not open their mouths, and
were so stupid that they let the few old rags which they had on their
bodies get burnt.' Then the man saw that he would not get the fifty
talers that day, and went away saying: 'Such a youth has never come my
way before.'
The youth likewise went his way, and once more began to mutter to
himself: 'Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!' A
waggoner who was striding behind him heard this and asked: 'Who are
you?' 'I don't know,' answered the youth. Then the waggoner asked:
'From whence do you come?' 'I know not.' 'Who is your father?' 'That
I may not tell you.' 'What is it that you are always muttering
between your teeth?' 'Ah,' replied the youth, 'I do so wish I could
shudder, but no one can teach me how.' 'Enough of your foolish
chatter,' said the waggoner. 'Come, go with me, I will see about a
place for you.' The youth went with the waggoner, and in the evening
they arrived at an inn where they wished to pass the night. Then at
the entrance of the parlour the youth again said quite loudly: 'If I
could but shudder! If I could but shudder!' The host who heard this,
laughed and said: 'If that is your desire, there ought to be a good
opportunity for you here.' 'Ah, be silent,' said the hostess, 'so
many prying persons have already lost their lives, it would be a pity
and a shame if such beautiful eyes as these should never see the
daylight again.'
But the youth said: 'However difficult it may be, I will learn it.
For this purpose indeed have I journeyed forth.' He let the host have no
rest, until the latter told him, that not far from thence stood a
haunted castle where anyone could very easily learn what shuddering was,
if he would but watch in it for three nights. The king had promised
that he who would venture should have his daughter to wife, and she
was the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Likewise in the castle
lay great treasures, which were guarded by evil spirits, and these
treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor man rich enough.
Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yet none had come
out again. Then the youth went next morning to the king, and said:
'If it be allowed, I will willingly watch three nights in the haunted
castle.'
The king looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he said: 'You
may ask for three things to take into the castle with you, but they
must be things without life.' Then he answered: 'Then I ask for a fire,
a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife.'
The king had these things carried into the castle for him during the
day. When night was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself a
bright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife
beside it, and seated himself by the turning-lathe. 'Ah, if I could
but shudder!' said he, 'but I shall not learn it here either.' Towards
midnight he was about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing it,
something cried suddenly from one corner: 'Au, miau! how cold we are!'
'You fools!' cried he, 'what are you crying about? If you are cold,
come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.' And when he had
said that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and sat
down on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with their fiery
eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed themselves, they said:
'Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?' 'Why not?' he replied, 'but
just show me your paws.' Then they stretched out their claws. 'Oh,'
said he, 'what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them for
you.' Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on the
cutting-board and screwed their feet fast. 'I have looked at your
fingers,' said he, 'and my fancy for card-playing has gone,' and he
struck them dead and threw them out into the water. But when he had
made away with these two, and was about to sit down again by his
fire, out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs
with red-hot chains, and more and more of them came until he could no
longer move, and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it
to pieces, and tried to put it out. He watched them for a while
quietly, but at last when they were going too far, he seized his
cutting-knife, and cried: 'Away with you, vermin,' and began to cut
them down. Some of them ran away, the others he killed, and threw
out into the fish-pond. When he came back he fanned the embers of his
fire again and warmed himself. And as he thus sat, his eyes would
keep open no longer, and he felt a desire to sleep. Then he looked
round and saw a great bed in the corner. 'That is the very thing for
me,' said he, and got into it. When he was just going to shut his
eyes, however, the bed began to move of its own accord, and went over
the whole of the castle. 'That's right,' said he, 'but go faster.'
Then the bed rolled on as if six horses were harnessed to it, up and
down, over thresholds and stairs, but suddenly hop, hop, it turned over
upside down, and lay on him like a mountain. But he threw quilts and
pillows up in the air, got out and said: 'Now anyone who likes, may
drive,' and lay down by his fire, and slept till it was day. In the
morning the king came, and when he saw him lying there on the ground,
he thought the evil spirits had killed him and he was dead. Then said
he: 'After all it is a pity,--for so handsome a man.' The youth heard
it, got up, and said: 'It has not come to that yet.' Then the king was
astonished, but very glad, and asked how he had fared. 'Very well
indeed,' answered he; 'one night is past, the two others will pass
likewise.' Then he went to the innkeeper, who opened his eyes very
wide, and said: 'I never expected to see you alive again! Have you
learnt how to shudder yet?' 'No,' said he, 'it is all in vain. If
someone would but tell me!'
The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by
the fire, and once more began his old song: 'If I could but shudder!'
When midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; at
first it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet for a
while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the
chimney and fell before him. 'Hullo!' cried he, 'another half belongs
to this. This is not enough!' Then the uproar began again, there was a
roaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. 'Wait,' said
he, 'I will just stoke up the fire a little for you.' When he had
done that and looked round again, the two pieces were joined together,
and a hideous man was sitting in his place. 'That is no part of our
bargain,' said the youth, 'the bench is mine.' The man wanted to push
him away; the youth, however, would not allow that, but thrust him off
with all his strength, and seated himself again in his own place.
Then still more men fell down, one after the other; they brought
nine dead men's legs and two skulls, and set them up and played at
nine-pins with them. The youth also wanted to play and said: 'Listen
you, can I join you?' 'Yes, if you have any money.' 'Money
enough,' replied he, 'but your balls are not quite round.' Then he
took the skulls and put them in the lathe and turned them till they were
round. 'There, now they will roll better!' said he. 'Hurrah! now we'll
have fun!' He played with them and lost some of his money, but when it
struck twelve, everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and
quietly fell asleep. Next morning the king came to inquire after him.
'How has it fared with you this time?' asked he. 'I have been playing
at nine-pins,' he answered, 'and have lost a couple of farthings.'
'Have you not shuddered then?' 'What?' said he, 'I have had a
wonderful time! If I did but know what it was to shudder!'
The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly: 'If
I could but shudder.' When it grew late, six tall men came in and
brought a coffin. Then he said: 'Ha, ha, that is certainly my little
cousin, who died only a few days ago,' and he beckoned with his
finger, and cried: 'Come, little cousin, come.' They placed the coffin
on the ground, but he went to it and took the lid off, and a dead man
lay therein. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. 'Wait,' said he,
'I will warm you a little,' and went to the fire and warmed his hand
and laid it on the dead man's face, but he remained cold. Then he took
him out, and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast and
rubbed his arms that the blood might circulate again. As this also
did no good, he thought to himself: 'When two people lie in bed
together, they warm each other,' and carried him to the bed, covered
him over and lay down by him. After a short time the dead man became
warm too, and began to move. Then said the youth, 'See, little cousin,
have I not warmed you?' The dead man, however, got up and cried: 'Now
will I strangle you.'
'What!' said he, 'is that the way you thank me? You shall at once go
into your coffin again,' and he took him up, threw him into it, and
shut the lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. 'I
cannot manage to shudder,' said he. 'I shall never learn it here as long
as I live.'
Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and looked terrible.
He was old, however, and had a long white beard. 'You wretch,' cried he,
'you shall soon learn what it is to shudder, for you shall die.' 'Not so
fast,' replied the youth. 'If I am to die, I shall have to have a say in
it.' 'I will soon seize you,' said the fiend. 'Softly, softly, do not
talk so big. I am as strong as you are, and perhaps even stronger.'
'We shall see,' said the old man. 'If you are stronger, I will let
you go--come, we will try.' Then he led him by dark passages to a
smith's forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the
ground. 'I can do better than that,' said the youth, and went to the
other anvil. The old man placed himself near and wanted to look on,
and his white beard hung down. Then the youth seized the axe, split
the anvil with one blow, and in it caught the old man's beard. 'Now I
have you,' said the youth. 'Now it is your turn to die.' Then he
seized an iron bar and beat the old man till he moaned and entreated
him to stop, when he would give him great riches. The youth drew out the
axe and let him go. The old man led him back into the castle, and in a
cellar showed him three chests full of gold. 'Of these,' said he, 'one
part is for the poor, the other for the king, the third yours.' In
the meantime it struck twelve, and the spirit disappeared, so that the
youth stood in darkness. 'I shall still be able to find my way out,'
said he, and felt about, found the way into the room, and slept
there by his fire. Next morning the king came and said: 'Now you must
have learnt what shuddering is?' 'No,' he answered; 'what can it be?
My dead cousin was here, and a bearded man came and showed me a
great deal of money down below, but no one told me what it was to
shudder.' 'Then,' said the king, 'you have saved the castle, and shall
marry my daughter.' 'That is all very well,' said he, 'but still I
do not know what it is to shudder!'
Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but
howsoever much the young king loved his wife, and however happy he
was, he still said always: 'If I could but shudder--if I could but
shudder.' And this at last angered her. Her waiting-maid said: 'I will
find a cure for him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder.' She
went out to the stream which flowed through the garden, and had a
whole bucketful of gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young
king was sleeping, his wife was to draw the clothes off him and
empty the bucket full of cold water with the gudgeons in it over
him, so that the little fishes would sprawl about him. Then he woke up
and cried: 'Oh, what makes me shudder so?--what makes me shudder so,
dear wife? Ah! now I know what it is to shudder!'
King Grisly-Beard
A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was
very beautiful, but so proud, and haughty, and conceited, that none
of the princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for
her, and she only made sport of them.
Once upon a time the king held a great feast, and asked thither all
her suitors; and they all sat in a row, ranged according to their
rank--kings, and princes, and dukes, and earls, and counts, and
barons, and knights. Then the princess came in, and as she passed by
them she had something spiteful to say to every one. The first was too
fat: 'He's as round as a tub,' said she. The next was too tall: 'What
a maypole!' said she. The next was too short: 'What a dumpling!' said
she. The fourth was too pale, and she called him 'Wallface.' The fifth
was too red, so she called him 'Coxcomb.' The sixth was not straight
enough; so she said he was like a green stick, that had been laid to
dry over a baker's oven. And thus she had some joke to crack upon every
one: but she laughed more than all at a good king who was there. 'Look
at him,' said she; 'his beard is like an old mop; he shall be called
Grisly-beard.' So the king got the nickname of Grisly-beard.
But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved,
and how she ill-treated all his guests; and he vowed that,
willing or unwilling, she should marry the first man, be he prince or
beggar, that came to the door.
Two days after there came by a travelling fiddler, who began to play
under the window and beg alms; and when the king heard him, he said,
'Let him come in.' So they brought in a dirty-looking fellow; and when
he had sung before the king and the princess, he begged a boon. Then
the king said, 'You have sung so well, that I will give you my
daughter for your wife.' The princess begged and prayed; but the king
said, 'I have sworn to give you to the first comer, and I will keep my
word.' So words and tears were of no avail; the parson was sent for,
and she was married to the fiddler. When this was over the king said,
'Now get ready to go--you must not stay here--you must travel on with
your husband.'
Then the fiddler went his way, and took her with him, and they soon
came to a great wood. 'Pray,' said she, 'whose is this wood?' 'It
belongs to King Grisly-beard,' answered he; 'hadst thou taken him,
all had been thine.' 'Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!' sighed she;
'would that I had married King Grisly-beard!' Next they came to some
fine meadows. 'Whose are these beautiful green meadows?' said she.
'They belong to King Grisly-beard, hadst thou taken him, they had all
been thine.' 'Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!' said she; 'would that I had
married King Grisly-beard!'
Then they came to a great city. 'Whose is this noble city?' said she.
'It belongs to King Grisly-beard; hadst thou taken him, it had all
been thine.' 'Ah! wretch that I am!' sighed she; 'why did I not
marry King Grisly-beard?' 'That is no business of mine,' said the
fiddler: 'why should you wish for another husband? Am not I good enough
for you?'
At last they came to a small cottage. 'What a paltry place!' said she;
'to whom does that little dirty hole belong?' Then the fiddler said,
'That is your and my house, where we are to live.' 'Where are your
servants?' cried she. 'What do we want with servants?' said he; 'you
must do for yourself whatever is to be done. Now make the fire, and
put on water and cook my supper, for I am very tired.' But the
princess knew nothing of making fires and cooking, and the fiddler was
forced to help her. When they had eaten a very scanty meal they went
to bed; but the fiddler called her up very early in the morning to
clean the house. Thus they lived for two days: and when they had
eaten up all there was in the cottage, the man said, 'Wife, we can't
go on thus, spending money and earning nothing. You must learn to
weave baskets.' Then he went out and cut willows, and brought them
home, and she began to weave; but it made her fingers very sore. 'I
see this work won't do,' said he: 'try and spin; perhaps you will do
that better.' So she sat down and tried to spin; but the threads cut
her tender fingers till the blood ran. 'See now,' said the fiddler,
'you are good for nothing; you can do no work: what a bargain I
have got! However, I'll try and set up a trade in pots and pans, and
you shall stand in the market and sell them.' 'Alas!' sighed she, 'if
any of my father's court should pass by and see me standing in the
market, how they will laugh at me!'
But her husband did not care for that, and said she must work, if she
did not wish to die of hunger. At first the trade went well; for many
people, seeing such a beautiful woman, went to buy her wares, and paid
their money without thinking of taking away the goods. They lived on
this as long as it lasted; and then her husband bought a fresh lot of
ware, and she sat herself down with it in the corner of the market;
but a drunken soldier soon came by, and rode his horse against her
stall, and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces. Then she began
to cry, and knew not what to do. 'Ah! what will become of me?' said
she; 'what will my husband say?' So she ran home and told him all. 'Who
would have thought you would have been so silly,' said he, 'as to put
an earthenware stall in the corner of the market, where everybody
passes? but let us have no more crying; I see you are not fit for this
sort of work, so I have been to the king's palace, and asked if they
did not want a kitchen-maid; and they say they will take you, and there
you will have plenty to eat.'
Thus the princess became a kitchen-maid, and helped the cook to do all
the dirtiest work; but she was allowed to carry home some of the meat
that was left, and on this they lived.
She had not been there long before she heard that the king's eldest
son was passing by, going to be married; and she went to one of the
windows and looked out. Everything was ready, and all the pomp and
brightness of the court was there. Then she bitterly grieved for the
pride and folly which had brought her so low. And the servants gave
her some of the rich meats, which she put into her basket to take home.
All on a sudden, as she was going out, in came the king's son in
golden clothes; and when he saw a beautiful woman at the door, he took
her by the hand, and said she should be his partner in the dance; but
she trembled for fear, for she saw that it was King Grisly-beard, who
was making sport of her. However, he kept fast hold, and led her in;
and the cover of the basket came off, so that the meats in it fell
about. Then everybody laughed and jeered at her; and she was so
abashed, that she wished herself a thousand feet deep in the earth. She
sprang to the door to run away; but on the steps King Grisly-beard
overtook her, and brought her back and said, 'Fear me not! I am the
fiddler who has lived with you in the hut. I brought you there because
I really loved you. I am also the soldier that overset your stall. I
have done all this only to cure you of your silly pride, and to show
you the folly of your ill-treatment of me. Now all is over: you have
learnt wisdom, and it is time to hold our marriage feast.'
Then the chamberlains came and brought her the most beautiful robes;
and her father and his whole court were there already, and welcomed her
home on her marriage. Joy was in every face and every heart. The
feast was grand; they danced and sang; all were merry; and I only wish
that you and I had been of the party.
Iron Hans
There was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near his
palace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out a
huntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back. 'Perhaps some
accident has befallen him,' said the king, and the next day he sent
out two more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayed
away. Then on the third day, he sent for all his huntsmen, and said:
'Scour the whole forest through, and do not give up until you have
found all three.' But of these also, none came home again, none were
seen again. From that time forth, no one would any longer venture
into the forest, and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude,
and nothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying
over it. This lasted for many years, when an unknown huntsman
announced himself to the king as seeking a situation, and offered to go
into the dangerous forest. The king, however, would not give his
consent, and said: 'It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare with
you no better than with the others, and you would never come out
again.' The huntsman replied: 'Lord, I will venture it at my own risk,
of fear I know nothing.'
The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest. It
was not long before the dog fell in with some game on the way, and
wanted to pursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps when it
stood before a deep pool, could go no farther, and a naked arm
stretched itself out of the water, seized it, and drew it under. When
the huntsman saw that, he went back and fetched three men to come
with buckets and bale out the water. When they could see to the
bottom there lay a wild man whose body was brown like rusty iron, and
whose hair hung over his face down to his knees. They bound him with
cords, and led him away to the castle. There was great astonishment
over the wild man; the king, however, had him put in an iron cage in
his courtyard, and forbade the door to be opened on pain of death,
and the queen herself was to take the key into her keeping. And from
this time forth everyone could again go into the forest with
safety.
The king had a son of eight years, who was once playing in the
courtyard, and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into the cage.
The boy ran thither and said: 'Give me my ball out.' 'Not till you
have opened the door for me,' answered the man. 'No,' said the boy, 'I
will not do that; the king has forbidden it,' and ran away. The next
day he again went and asked for his ball; the wild man said: 'Open my
door,' but the boy would not. On the third day the king had ridden out
hunting, and the boy went once more and said: 'I cannot open the door
even if I wished, for I have not the key.' Then the wild man said: 'It
lies under your mother's pillow, you can get it there.' The boy, who
wanted to have his ball back, cast all thought to the winds, and
brought the key. The door opened with difficulty, and the boy
pinched his fingers. When it was open the wild man stepped out, gave
him the golden ball, and hurried away. The boy had become afraid;
he called and cried after him: 'Oh, wild man, do not go away, or I
shall be beaten!' The wild man turned back, took him up, set him on
his shoulder, and went with hasty steps into the forest. When the king
came home, he observed the empty cage, and asked the queen how that
had happened. She knew nothing about it, and sought the key, but it
was gone. She called the boy, but no one answered. The king sent out
people to seek for him in the fields, but they did not find him.
Then he could easily guess what had happened, and much grief reigned in
the royal court.
When the wild man had once more reached the dark forest, he took the
boy down from his shoulder, and said to him: 'You will never see your
father and mother again, but I will keep you with me, for you have set
me free, and I have compassion on you. If you do all I bid you, you
shall fare well. Of treasure and gold have I enough, and more than
anyone in the world.' He made a bed of moss for the boy on which he
slept, and the next morning the man took him to a well, and said:
'Behold, the gold well is as bright and clear as crystal, you shall sit
beside it, and take care that nothing falls into it, or it will be
polluted. I will come every evening to see if you have obeyed my
order.' The boy placed himself by the brink of the well, and often saw
a golden fish or a golden snake show itself therein, and took care
that nothing fell in. As he was thus sitting, his finger hurt him so
violently that he involuntarily put it in the water. He drew it quickly
out again, but saw that it was quite gilded, and whatsoever
pains he took to wash the gold off again, all was to no purpose.
In the evening Iron Hans came back, looked at the boy, and said: 'What
has happened to the well?' 'Nothing nothing,' he answered, and held his
finger behind his back, that the man might not see it. But he said:
'You have dipped your finger into the water, this time it may pass,
but take care you do not again let anything go in.' By daybreak the
boy was already sitting by the well and watching it. His finger hurt
him again and he passed it over his head, and then unhappily a hair
fell down into the well. He took it quickly out, but it was already
quite gilded. Iron Hans came, and already knew what had happened. 'You
have let a hair fall into the well,' said he. 'I will allow you to
watch by it once more, but if this happens for the third time then
the well is polluted and you can no longer remain with me.'
On the third day, the boy sat by the well, and did not stir his
finger, however much it hurt him. But the time was long to him, and he
looked at the reflection of his face on the surface of the water. And
as he still bent down more and more while he was doing so, and trying
to look straight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from his
shoulders into the water. He raised himself up quickly, but the whole
of the hair of his head was already golden and shone like the sun.
You can imagine how terrified the poor boy was! He took his
pocket-handkerchief and tied it round his head, in order that the man
might not see it. When he came he already knew everything, and said:
'Take the handkerchief off.' Then the golden hair streamed forth, and
let the boy excuse himself as he might, it was of no use. 'You have
not stood the trial and can stay here no longer. Go forth into the
world, there you will learn what poverty is. But as you have not a bad
heart, and as I mean well by you, there is one thing I will grant
you; if you fall into any difficulty, come to the forest and cry:
"Iron Hans," and then I will come and help you. My power is great,
greater than you think, and I have gold and silver in abundance.'
Then the king's son left the forest, and walked by beaten and
unbeaten paths ever onwards until at length he reached a great
city. There he looked for work, but could find none, and he learnt
nothing by which he could help himself. At length he went to the
palace, and asked if they would take him in. The people about court
did not at all know what use they could make of him, but they liked
him, and told him to stay. At length the cook took him into his
service, and said he might carry wood and water, and rake the cinders
together. Once when it so happened that no one else was at hand, the
cook ordered him to carry the food to the royal table, but as he did
not like to let his golden hair be seen, he kept his little cap on.
Such a thing as that had never yet come under the king's notice, and
he said: 'When you come to the royal table you must take your hat off.'
He answered: 'Ah, Lord, I cannot; I have a bad sore place on my head.'
Then the king had the cook called before him and scolded him, and
asked how he could take such a boy as that into his service; and that
he was to send him away at once. The cook, however, had pity on him,
and exchanged him for the gardener's boy.
And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, and
bear the wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was working alone
in the garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap off that the
air might cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glittered and
flashed so that the rays fell into the bedroom of the king's daughter,
and up she sprang to see what that could be. Then she saw the boy, and
cried to him: 'Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers.' He put his cap
on with all haste, and gathered wild field-flowers and bound them
together. When he was ascending the stairs with them, the gardener met
him, and said: 'How can you take the king's daughter a garland of such
common flowers? Go quickly, and get another, and seek out the
prettiest and rarest.' 'Oh, no,' replied the boy, 'the wild ones have
more scent, and will please her better.' When he got into the room, the
king's daughter said: 'Take your cap off, it is not seemly to keep it on
in my presence.' He again said: 'I may not, I have a sore head.' She,
however, caught at his cap and pulled it off, and then his golden
hair rolled down on his shoulders, and it was splendid to behold.
He wanted to run out, but she held him by the arm, and gave him a
handful of ducats. With these he departed, but he cared nothing for
the gold pieces. He took them to the gardener, and said: 'I present
them to your children, they can play with them.' The following day
the king's daughter again called to him that he was to bring her
a wreath of field-flowers, and then he went in with it, she instantly
snatched at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him, but he held
it fast with both hands. She again gave him a handful of ducats, but he
would not keep them, and gave them to the gardener for playthings for
his children. On the third day things went just the same; she could
not get his cap away from him, and he would not have her money.
Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The king
gathered together his people, and did not know whether or not he could
offer any opposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and
had a mighty army. Then said the gardener's boy: 'I am grown up, and
will go to the wars also, only give me a horse.' The others laughed,
and said: 'Seek one for yourself when we are gone, we will leave one
behind us in the stable for you.' When they had gone forth, he went
into the stable, and led the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and
limped hobblety jib, hobblety jib; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode
away to the dark forest. When he came to the outskirts, he called
'Iron Hans' three times so loudly that it echoed through the trees.
Thereupon the wild man appeared immediately, and said: 'What do you
desire?' 'I want a strong steed, for I am going to the wars.' 'That you
shall have, and still more than you ask for.' Then the wild man went
back into the forest, and it was not long before a stable-boy
came out of it, who led a horse that snorted with its nostrils, and
could hardly be restrained, and behind them followed a great troop of
warriors entirely equipped in iron, and their swords flashed in the
sun. The youth made over his three-legged horse to the stable-boy,
mounted the other, and rode at the head of the soldiers. When he
got near the battlefield a great part of the king's men had already
fallen, and little was wanting to make the rest give way. Then the
youth galloped thither with his iron soldiers, broke like a hurricane
over the enemy, and beat down all who opposed him. They began to flee,
but the youth pursued, and never stopped, until there was not a single
man left. Instead of returning to the king, however, he conducted his
troop by byways back to the forest, and called forth Iron Hans. 'What
do you desire?' asked the wild man. 'Take back your horse and your
troops, and give me my three-legged horse again.' All that he asked
was done, and soon he was riding on his three-legged horse. When
the king returned to his palace, his daughter went to meet him, and
wished him joy of his victory. 'I am not the one who carried away the
victory,' said he, 'but a strange knight who came to my assistance
with his soldiers.' The daughter wanted to hear who the strange knight
was, but the king did not know, and said: 'He followed the enemy, and
I did not see him again.' She inquired of the gardener where his boy
was, but he smiled, and said: 'He has just come home on his
three-legged horse, and the others have been mocking him, and crying:
"Here comes our hobblety jib back again!" They asked, too: "Under what
hedge have you been lying sleeping all the time?" So he said: "I did
the best of all, and it would have gone badly without me." And then he
was still more ridiculed.'
The king said to his daughter: 'I will proclaim a great feast that
shall last for three days, and you shall throw a golden apple.
Perhaps the unknown man will show himself.' When the feast was
announced, the youth went out to the forest, and called Iron Hans.
'What do you desire?' asked he. 'That I may catch the king's daughter's
golden apple.' 'It is as safe as if you had it already,' said Iron
Hans. 'You shall likewise have a suit of red armour for the occasion,
and ride on a spirited chestnut-horse.' When the day came, the youth
galloped to the spot, took his place amongst the knights, and was
recognized by no one. The king's daughter came forward, and threw a
golden apple to the knights, but none of them caught it but he, only as
soon as he had it he galloped away.
On the second day Iron Hans equipped him as a white knight, and gave him
a white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple, and he
did not linger an instant, but galloped off with it. The king grew
angry, and said: 'That is not allowed; he must appear before me and
tell his name.' He gave the order that if the knight who caught the
apple, should go away again they should pursue him, and if he would
not come back willingly, they were to cut him down and stab him.
On the third day, he received from Iron Hans a suit of black armour and
a black horse, and again he caught the apple. But when he was riding
off with it, the king's attendants pursued him, and one of them got so
near him that he wounded the youth's leg with the point of his sword.
The youth nevertheless escaped from them, but his horse leapt so
violently that the helmet fell from the youth's head, and they could
see that he had golden hair. They rode back and announced this to the
king.
The following day the king's daughter asked the gardener about his
boy. 'He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at the
festival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewise
shown my children three golden apples which he has won.'
The king had him summoned into his presence, and he came and again had
his little cap on his head. But the king's daughter went up to him and
took it off, and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders, and
he was so handsome that all were amazed. 'Are you the knight who came
every day to the festival, always in different colours, and who caught
the three golden apples?' asked the king. 'Yes,' answered he, 'and
here the apples are,' and he took them out of his pocket, and returned
them to the king. 'If you desire further proof, you may see the wound
which your people gave me when they followed me. But I am likewise the
knight who helped you to your victory over your enemies.' 'If you can
perform such deeds as that, you are no gardener's boy; tell me, who
is your father?' 'My father is a mighty king, and gold have I in
plenty as great as I require.' 'I well see,' said the king, 'that I
owe my thanks to you; can I do anything to please you?' 'Yes,'
answered he, 'that indeed you can. Give me your daughter to wife.'
The maiden laughed, and said: 'He does not stand much on ceremony, but
I have already seen by his golden hair that he was no gardener's
boy,' and then she went and kissed him. His father and mother came to
the wedding, and were in great delight, for they had given up all hope
of ever seeing their dear son again. And as they were sitting at the
marriage-feast, the music suddenly stopped, the doors opened, and
a stately king came in with a great retinue. He went up to the
youth, embraced him and said: 'I am Iron Hans, and was by enchantment a
wild man, but you have set me free; all the treasures which I possess,
shall be your property.'
Cat-Skin
There was once a king, whose queen had hair of the purest gold, and was
so beautiful that her match was not to be met with on the whole face of
the earth. But this beautiful queen fell ill, and when she felt that
her end drew near she called the king to her and said, 'Promise me
that you will never marry again, unless you meet with a wife who is
as beautiful as I am, and who has golden hair like mine.' Then when
the king in his grief promised all she asked, she shut her eyes and
died. But the king was not to be comforted, and for a long time never
thought of taking another wife. At last, however, his wise men said,
'this will not do; the king must marry again, that we may have a
queen.' So messengers were sent far and wide, to seek for a bride as
beautiful as the late queen. But there was no princess in the world so
beautiful; and if there had been, still there was not one to be found
who had golden hair. So the messengers came home, and had had all their
trouble for nothing.
Now the king had a daughter, who was just as beautiful as her mother,
and had the same golden hair. And when she was grown up, the king
looked at her and saw that she was just like this late queen: then he
said to his courtiers, 'May I not marry my daughter? She is the very
image of my dead wife: unless I have her, I shall not find any bride
upon the whole earth, and you say there must be a queen.' When the
courtiers heard this they were shocked, and said, 'Heaven forbid that
a father should marry his daughter! Out of so great a sin no good can
come.' And his daughter was also shocked, but hoped the king would soon
give up such thoughts; so she said to him, 'Before I marry anyone I
must have three dresses: one must be of gold, like the sun; another must
be of shining silver, like the moon; and a third must be dazzling as
the stars: besides this, I want a mantle of a thousand different kinds
of fur put together, to which every beast in the kingdom must give a
part of his skin.' And thus she though he would think of the matter no
more. But the king made the most skilful workmen in his kingdom weave
the three dresses: one golden, like the sun; another silvery, like
the moon; and a third sparkling, like the stars: and his hunters
were told to hunt out all the beasts in his kingdom, and to take the
finest fur out of their skins: and thus a mantle of a thousand furs
was made.
When all were ready, the king sent them to her; but she got up in
the night when all were asleep, and took three of her trinkets, a golden
ring, a golden necklace, and a golden brooch, and packed the three
dresses--of the sun, the moon, and the stars--up in a nutshell, and
wrapped herself up in the mantle made of all sorts of fur, and
besmeared her face and hands with soot. Then she threw herself upon
Heaven for help in her need, and went away, and journeyed on the
whole night, till at last she came to a large wood. As she was very
tired, she sat herself down in the hollow of a tree and soon fell
asleep: and there she slept on till it was midday.
Now as the king to whom the wood belonged was hunting in it, his dogs
came to the tree, and began to snuff about, and run round and round, and
bark. 'Look sharp!' said the king to the huntsmen, 'and see what sort
of game lies there.' And the huntsmen went up to the tree, and when
they came back again said, 'In the hollow tree there lies a most
wonderful beast, such as we never saw before; its skin seems to be of a
thousand kinds of fur, but there it lies fast asleep.' 'See,' said
the king, 'if you can catch it alive, and we will take it with us.'
So the huntsmen took it up, and the maiden awoke and was greatly
frightened, and said, 'I am a poor child that has neither father nor
mother left; have pity on me and take me with you.' Then they said,
'Yes, Miss Cat-skin, you will do for the kitchen; you can sweep up the
ashes, and do things of that sort.' So they put her into the coach, and
took her home to the king's palace. Then they showed her a little
corner under the staircase, where no light of day ever peeped in, and
said, 'Cat-skin, you may lie and sleep there.' And she was sent into
the kitchen, and made to fetch wood and water, to blow the fire, pluck
the poultry, pick the herbs, sift the ashes, and do all the dirty work.
Thus Cat-skin lived for a long time very sorrowfully. 'Ah!
pretty princess!' thought she, 'what will now become of thee?' But it
happened one day that a feast was to be held in the king's castle, so
she said to the cook, 'May I go up a little while and see what is
going on? I will take care and stand behind the door.' And the cook
said, 'Yes, you may go, but be back again in half an hour's time, to
rake out the ashes.' Then she took her little lamp, and went into her
cabin, and took off the fur skin, and washed the soot from off her face
and hands, so that her beauty shone forth like the sun from behind the
clouds. She next opened her nutshell, and brought out of it the dress
that shone like the sun, and so went to the feast. Everyone made way
for her, for nobody knew her, and they thought she could be no less
than a king's daughter. But the king came up to her, and held out his
hand and danced with her; and he thought in his heart, 'I never saw
any one half so beautiful.'
When the dance was at an end she curtsied; and when the king looked
round for her, she was gone, no one knew wither. The guards that stood
at the castle gate were called in: but they had seen no one. The truth
was, that she had run into her little cabin, pulled off her dress,
blackened her face and hands, put on the fur-skin cloak, and was
Cat-skin again. When she went into the kitchen to her work, and began
to rake the ashes, the cook said, 'Let that alone till the morning,
and heat the king's soup; I should like to run up now and give a peep:
but take care you don't let a hair fall into it, or you will run a
chance of never eating again.'
As soon as the cook went away, Cat-skin heated the king's soup,
and toasted a slice of bread first, as nicely as ever she could; and
when it was ready, she went and looked in the cabin for her little
golden ring, and put it into the dish in which the soup was. When the
dance was over, the king ordered his soup to be brought in; and it
pleased him so well, that he thought he had never tasted any so good
before. At the bottom he saw a gold ring lying; and as he could not
make out how it had got there, he ordered the cook to be sent for. The
cook was frightened when he heard the order, and said to Cat-skin, 'You
must have let a hair fall into the soup; if it be so, you will have a
good beating.' Then he went before the king, and he asked him who had
cooked the soup. 'I did,' answered the cook. But the king said,
'That is not true; it was better done than you could do it.' Then he
answered, 'To tell the truth I did not cook it, but Cat-skin did.'
'Then let Cat-skin come up,' said the king: and when she came he said
to her, 'Who are you?' 'I am a poor child,' said she, 'that has lost
both father and mother.' 'How came you in my palace?' asked he. 'I am
good for nothing,' said she, 'but to be scullion-girl, and to have
boots and shoes thrown at my head.' 'But how did you get the ring that
was in the soup?' asked the king. Then she would not own that she
knew anything about the ring; so the king sent her away again
about her business.
After a time there was another feast, and Cat-skin asked the cook to
let her go up and see it as before. 'Yes,' said he, 'but come again in
half an hour, and cook the king the soup that he likes so much.' Then
she ran to her little cabin, washed herself quickly, and took her dress
out which was silvery as the moon, and put it on; and when she went in,
looking like a king's daughter, the king went up to her, and
rejoiced at seeing her again, and when the dance began he danced with
her. After the dance was at an end she managed to slip out, so slyly
that the king did not see where she was gone; but she sprang into her
little cabin, and made herself into Cat-skin again, and went into the
kitchen to cook the soup. Whilst the cook was above stairs, she got
the golden necklace and dropped it into the soup; then it was brought to
the king, who ate it, and it pleased him as well as before; so he sent
for the cook, who was again forced to tell him that Cat-skin had cooked
it. Cat-skin was brought again before the king, but she still told
him that she was only fit to have boots and shoes thrown at her
head.
But when the king had ordered a feast to be got ready for the third
time, it happened just the same as before. 'You must be a witch,
Cat-skin,' said the cook; 'for you always put something into your soup,
so that it pleases the king better than mine.' However, he let her go up
as before. Then she put on her dress which sparkled like the
stars, and went into the ball-room in it; and the king danced with
her again, and thought she had never looked so beautiful as she did
then. So whilst he was dancing with her, he put a gold ring on her
finger without her seeing it, and ordered that the dance should be kept
up a long time. When it was at an end, he would have held her fast by
the hand, but she slipped away, and sprang so quickly through the crowd
that he lost sight of her: and she ran as fast as she could into her
little cabin under the stairs. But this time she kept away too long,
and stayed beyond the half-hour; so she had not time to take off her
fine dress, and threw her fur mantle over it, and in her haste did not
blacken herself all over with soot, but left one of her fingers
white.
Then she ran into the kitchen, and cooked the king's soup; and as soon
as the cook was gone, she put the golden brooch into the dish. When the
king got to the bottom, he ordered Cat-skin to be called once more,
and soon saw the white finger, and the ring that he had put on it
whilst they were dancing: so he seized her hand, and kept fast hold
of it, and when she wanted to loose herself and spring away, the fur
cloak fell off a little on one side, and the starry dress sparkled
underneath it.
Then he got hold of the fur and tore it off, and her golden hair
and beautiful form were seen, and she could no longer hide herself:
so she washed the soot and ashes from her face, and showed herself to
be the most beautiful princess upon the face of the earth. But the king
said, 'You are my beloved bride, and we will never more be parted from
each other.' And the wedding feast was held, and a merry day it was,
as ever was heard of or seen in that country, or indeed in any other.
Snow-White And Rose-Red
There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of
the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees, one of which bore
white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like
the two rose-trees, and one was called Snow-white, and the other
Rose-red. They were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful as ever
two children in the world were, only Snow-white was more quiet and
gentle than Rose-red. Rose-red liked better to run about in the
meadows and fields seeking flowers and catching butterflies; but
Snow-white sat at home with her mother, and helped her with her
housework, or read to her when there was nothing to do.
The two children were so fond of one another that they always held
each other by the hand when they went out together, and when Snow-white
said: 'We will not leave each other,' Rose-red answered: 'Never so
long as we live,' and their mother would add: 'What one has she must
share with the other.'
They often ran about the forest alone and gathered red berries, and
no beasts did them any harm, but came close to them trustfully. The
little hare would eat a cabbage-leaf out of their hands, the roe grazed
by their side, the stag leapt merrily by them, and the birds sat
still upon the boughs, and sang whatever they knew.
No mishap overtook them; if they had stayed too late in the forest,
and night came on, they laid themselves down near one another upon the
moss, and slept until morning came, and their mother knew this and did
not worry on their account.
Once when they had spent the night in the wood and the dawn had
roused them, they saw a beautiful child in a shining white dress
sitting near their bed. He got up and looked quite kindly at them, but
said nothing and went into the forest. And when they looked round they
found that they had been sleeping quite close to a precipice, and would
certainly have fallen into it in the darkness if they had gone only a
few paces further. And their mother told them that it must have been
the angel who watches over good children.
Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother's little cottage so neat that
it was a pleasure to look inside it. In the summer Rose-red took care of
the house, and every morning laid a wreath of flowers by her
mother's bed before she awoke, in which was a rose from each tree.
In the winter Snow-white lit the fire and hung the kettle on the hob.
The kettle was of brass and shone like gold, so brightly was it
polished. In the evening, when the snowflakes fell, the mother said:
'Go, Snow-white, and bolt the door,' and then they sat round the
hearth, and the mother took her spectacles and read aloud out of a
large book, and the two girls listened as they sat and spun. And close
by them lay a lamb upon the floor, and behind them upon a perch sat a
white dove with its head hidden beneath its wings.
One evening, as they were thus sitting comfortably together,
someone knocked at the door as if he wished to be let in. The mother
said: 'Quick, Rose-red, open the door, it must be a traveller who is
seeking shelter.' Rose-red went and pushed back the bolt, thinking
that it was a poor man, but it was not; it was a bear that stretched
his broad, black head within the door.
Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the lamb bleated, the dove
fluttered, and Snow-white hid herself behind her mother's bed. But the
bear began to speak and said: 'Do not be afraid, I will do you
no harm! I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself a little
beside you.'
'Poor bear,' said the mother, 'lie down by the fire, only take care
that you do not burn your coat.' Then she cried: 'Snow-white,
Rose-red, come out, the bear will do you no harm, he means well.' So
they both came out, and by-and-by the lamb and dove came nearer, and
were not afraid of him. The bear said: 'Here, children, knock the snow
out of my coat a little'; so they brought the broom and swept the
bear's hide clean; and he stretched himself by the fire and growled
contentedly and comfortably. It was not long before they grew quite at
home, and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his hair
with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled him about, or
they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he growled they
laughed. But the bear took it all in good part, only when they were
too rough he called out: 'Leave me alive, children,
Snow-white, Rose-red,
Will you beat your wooer dead?'
When it was bed-time, and the others went to bed, the mother said to
the bear: 'You can lie there by the hearth, and then you will be safe
from the cold and the bad weather.' As soon as day dawned the two
children let him out, and he trotted across the snow into the forest.
Henceforth the bear came every evening at the same time, laid himself
down by the hearth, and let the children amuse themselves with him as
much as they liked; and they got so used to him that the doors were
never fastened until their black friend had arrived.
When spring had come and all outside was green, the bear said one
morning to Snow-white: 'Now I must go away, and cannot come back for
the whole summer.' 'Where are you going, then, dear bear?' asked
Snow-white. 'I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the
wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they are
obliged to stay below and cannot work their way through; but now, when
the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through it, and come
out to pry and steal; and what once gets into their hands, and in
their caves, does not easily see daylight again.'
Snow-white was quite sorry at his departure, and as she unbolted the
door for him, and the bear was hurrying out, he caught against the bolt
and a piece of his hairy coat was torn off, and it seemed to
Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining through it, but she was not
sure about it. The bear ran away quickly, and was soon out of sight
behind the trees.
A short time afterwards the mother sent her children into the forest
to get firewood. There they found a big tree which lay felled on the
ground, and close by the trunk something was jumping backwards and
forwards in the grass, but they could not make out what it was. When
they came nearer they saw a dwarf with an old withered face and a
snow-white beard a yard long. The end of the beard was caught in a
crevice of the tree, and the little fellow was jumping about like a dog
tied to a rope, and did not know what to do.
He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried: 'Why do
you stand there? Can you not come here and help me?' 'What are you
up to, little man?' asked Rose-red. 'You stupid, prying goose!'
answered the dwarf: 'I was going to split the tree to get a little
wood for cooking. The little bit of food that we people get is
immediately burnt up with heavy logs; we do not swallow so much as you
coarse, greedy folk. I had just driven the wedge safely in, and
everything was going as I wished; but the cursed wedge was too smooth
and suddenly sprang out, and the tree closed so quickly that I could
not pull out my beautiful white beard; so now it is tight and I
cannot get away, and the silly, sleek, milk-faced things laugh! Ugh!
how odious you are!'
The children tried very hard, but they could not pull the beard out,
it was caught too fast. 'I will run and fetch someone,' said Rose-red.
'You senseless goose!' snarled the dwarf; 'why should you fetch
someone? You are already two too many for me; can you not think of
something better?' 'Don't be impatient,' said Snow-white, 'I will help
you,' and she pulled her scissors out of her pocket, and cut off the
end of the beard.
As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he laid hold of a bag which
lay amongst the roots of the tree, and which was full of gold, and
lifted it up, grumbling to himself: 'Uncouth people, to cut off a
piece of my fine beard. Bad luck to you!' and then he swung the bag
upon his back, and went off without even once looking at the children.
Some time afterwards Snow-white and Rose-red went to catch a dish of
fish. As they came near the brook they saw something like a large
grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if it were going to leap in.
They ran to it and found it was the dwarf. 'Where are you going?'
said Rose-red; 'you surely don't want to go into the water?' 'I am not
such a fool!' cried the dwarf; 'don't you see that the accursed fish
wants to pull me in?' The little man had been sitting there fishing,
and unluckily the wind had tangled up his beard with the fishing-line;
a moment later a big fish made a bite and the feeble creature had not
strength to pull it out; the fish kept the upper hand and pulled the
dwarf towards him. He held on to all the reeds and rushes, but it
was of little good, for he was forced to follow the movements of
the fish, and was in urgent danger of being dragged into the water.
The girls came just in time; they held him fast and tried to free
his beard from the line, but all in vain, beard and line were entangled
fast together. There was nothing to do but to bring out the scissors
and cut the beard, whereby a small part of it was lost. When the dwarf
saw that he screamed out: 'Is that civil, you toadstool, to disfigure
a man's face? Was it not enough to clip off the end of my beard? Now
you have cut off the best part of it. I cannot let myself be seen by my
people. I wish you had been made to run the soles off your shoes!' Then
he took out a sack of pearls which lay in the rushes, and without
another word he dragged it away and disappeared behind a stone.
It happened that soon afterwards the mother sent the two children to
the town to buy needles and thread, and laces and ribbons. The road led
them across a heath upon which huge pieces of rock lay strewn about.
There they noticed a large bird hovering in the air, flying slowly
round and round above them; it sank lower and lower, and at last
settled near a rock not far away. Immediately they heard a loud,
piteous cry. They ran up and saw with horror that the eagle had seized
their old acquaintance the dwarf, and was going to carry him off.
The children, full of pity, at once took tight hold of the little man,
and pulled against the eagle so long that at last he let his booty go.
As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his first fright he cried with
his shrill voice: 'Could you not have done it more carefully! You
dragged at my brown coat so that it is all torn and full of holes, you
clumsy creatures!' Then he took up a sack full of precious stones, and
slipped away again under the rock into his hole. The girls, who by
this time were used to his ingratitude, went on their way and did
their business in town.
As they crossed the heath again on their way home they surprised
the dwarf, who had emptied out his bag of precious stones in a clean
spot, and had not thought that anyone would come there so late. The
evening sun shone upon the brilliant stones; they glittered and
sparkled with all colours so beautifully that the children stood still
and stared at them. 'Why do you stand gaping there?' cried the dwarf,
and his ashen-grey face became copper-red with rage. He was still
cursing when a loud growling was heard, and a black bear came trotting
towards them out of the forest. The dwarf sprang up in a fright, but he
could not reach his cave, for the bear was already close. Then in the
dread of his heart he cried: 'Dear Mr Bear, spare me, I will give you
all my treasures; look, the beautiful jewels lying there! Grant me my
life; what do you want with such a slender little fellow as I? you would
not feel me between your teeth. Come, take these two wicked girls,
they are tender morsels for you, fat as young quails; for mercy's
sake eat them!' The bear took no heed of his words, but gave the
wicked creature a single blow with his paw, and he did not move again.
The girls had run away, but the bear called to them: 'Snow-white
and Rose-red, do not be afraid; wait, I will come with you.' Then
they recognized his voice and waited, and when he came up to them
suddenly his bearskin fell off, and he stood there a handsome man,
clothed all in gold. 'I am a king's son,' he said, 'and I was bewitched
by that wicked dwarf, who had stolen my treasures; I have had to run
about the forest as a savage bear until I was freed by his
death. Now he has got his well-deserved punishment.'
Snow-white was married to him, and Rose-red to his brother, and
they divided between them the great treasure which the dwarf had
gathered together in his cave. The old mother lived peacefully and
happily with her children for many years. She took the two rose-trees
with her, and they stood before her window, and every year bore the
most beautiful roses, white and red.
Project Gutenberg Note
The Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859), were
born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, in the German state of Hesse. Throughout
their lives they remained close friends, and both studied law at
Marburg University. Jacob was a pioneer in the study of German
philology, and although Wilhelm's work was hampered by poor
health the brothers collaborated in the creation of a German
dictionary, not completed until a century after their deaths. But they
were best (and universally) known for the collection of over two hundred
folk tales they made from oral sources and published in two volumes of
'Nursery and Household Tales' in 1812 and 1814. Although their
intention was to preserve such material as part of German cultural
and literary history, and their collection was first published with
scholarly notes and no illustration, the tales soon came into the
possession of young readers. This was in part due to Edgar Taylor,
who made the first English translation in 1823, selecting about fifty
stories 'with the amusement of some young friends principally in
view.' They have been an essential ingredient of children's reading
ever since.
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GRIMMS' FAIRY TALES ***
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